Smart carts will give uniform space between stalls and beautify the beach

CHENNAI: Greater Chennai Corporation has informed Madras high court that only 900 vendors would be permitted to carry out vending on the Marina beach and that the corporation planned to purchase uniform smarty vending carts to be distributed to such identified vendors at a cost of Rs 27 crore.

Apart from the identified vendors no one would be permitted to carry out vending on the sands of the Marina, additional advocate general SR Rajagopal said on Monday. “In 2017 a total of 1,544 vendors were enumerated, out of which identity cards were issued to 1,486 vendors. As per the enumeration conducted in 2019, there were 1,962 shops, out of which only 808 shop vendors possessed identity cards,” he added.

As to the development plan of Loop Road behind the Light house, Rajagopal submitted that the corporation is in active consultation with coastal regulatory zone authorities for construction of footpath on the sea side of the road. “We are persuading the fishermen to shift to the nearest market yard of two acres and the outcome of the same would be placed before the court on the next date of hearing,” he added.

Recording the submissions, a division bench of Justice Vineet Kothari and Justice R Suresh Kumar directed the corporation to produce the detailed plan to carry out the work, by January 8.

The issue pertains to a plea moved by Fishermen Care, a fishermen rights association, seeking direction to the state government to increase the allowance provided to fishermen community during fishing ban period. However, the scope of the PIL was expanded, covering regularisation of vendors on the Marina Promenade and Loop Road, and as to the steps taken for beautification of the beach.

Frowning at poor upkeep of the sands and rampant encroachment, the bench even observed that the commissioners of Chennai corporation and the city police should work together to make Marina a world class beach in six months. On Monday, when the plea came up for hearing, the corporation submitted that proposals have been made to the government to provide smart carts for vendors so as to have uniform space for the vendors and also for the purpose of beautification of the beach.

“Various steps have been taken for beautification of the beach. The shops have been streamlined and arranged along the service road and arrange the shops in in 9 vertical rows perpendicular to the service roads, so as to enable better and clear sea view form the roads, as suggested by the high court,” Rajagopal said.

This apart, for cleaning the gallery, footpath, service road, and sand area, 175 sanitary workers have been deployed at the beach on shift basis. Restrooms and toilets have been provided in 6 locations and 2 more are newly constructed in various locations in the beach, he added.

