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(ARCHIVE) Vol. XXI No. 16, December 1-15, 2011
A Marina take-over
(By the Editor)

Why is Corporation doing this?

A new Council has taken office at the Chennai Corporation and among the first steps it has taken is a decision to take over from the PWD the maintenance of Marina Beach. This is at a time when several macro issues such as garbage disposal, public health and hygiene, the condition of the waterways, civic administration, and drainage are all challenging the civic body, with Chennai’s ratings fast slipping on all these counts. To what purpose then this decision to take over the Marina which, when compared to the rest of the city, is definitely better maintained, though that is not saying much?

The decision could not have been more ill-timed as the Corporation now needs to focus on its biggest challenge – how to come to grips with its new jurisdiction with an area that is now three times larger than what it was handling earlier and none too well at that. The past track record shows that the authority of the civic body was steadily whittled down only because it could not perform its duties effectively. Thus, the Water Supply and Sewerage Board was formed, several arterial roads were handed over to the Highways Department, and garbage disposal was rather half-heartedly privatised. Several important projects were handed over to specially constituted agencies. And when the private waste disposal agency failed in carrying out its tasks effectively, the Corporation stepped in rather belatedly and it did not improve matters. Contrast this with the functioning of the Highways Department, which is definitely better and which has ensured that the quality of road-laying has been such that principal arterial stretches are at least navigable during the monsoons. And it cannot be denied that the PWD has done a decent job with the Marina, which is arguably the showpiece of this city.

So what does the Corporation want to do with the Marina? It wants to get rid of the stalls put up by vendors on the beach. How does it propose to do it? By constructing permanent shops and leasing them out to authorised vendors. How will this improve the situation beyond bringing in some rent revenue to the Corporation? What we will be left with is a series of unsightly shops, which will become eyesores owing to poor maintenance. And given the lack of civic sense in the average Chennaiite, the area around these shops will become permanent litter dumps. A far better idea would be to retain the temporary shops (at least they are temporary) and improve the cleaning of the sands. In this connection, it is worthwhile pointing out that the Corporation last year bought sand cleaning equipment worth Rs. 80 lakh and launched their use at a high-profile event with the Mayor driving the vehicle. What happened to these machines and, if they are being used, why is the sand still full of litter?

A supplementary decision taken at the first meeting of the Council was that the Marina, from Anna Memorial to Foreshore Estate, would be ‘renovated’. What then of the recently concluded beautification exercise initiated by the previous regime at a cost of Rs. 25 crore? Does the Marina need any more of these exercises? But such sweeping acts are hardly surprising whenever there is a regime change in our State.

Perhaps what we need is a legislation to the effect that the Marina will be left as it is – a vast open stretch and a vital lung of the city.



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In this issue

A Marina take-over
With first success, will HCC begin to stir?
Heritage destination – Pulicat
Heritage destination – Tranquebar
An association determined to revive Tranquebar
A pioneer in hoteliering in Madras – D'Angelis

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Short 'N' Snappy
a-Musing
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Quizzin' with Ram'nan
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