Beach clean up flagged open by Ministers Ma.Subramanian and V.Meyyanathan
The Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) along with the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) conducted the G20 Mega Beach Cleaning campaign throughout the state on May 21.
In Chennai, the activity was conducted at Elliot’s beach and saw participation from Ma. Subramanian – State’s Minister for Health and Family Welfare, V.Meyyanathan Siva – State’s Minister of Environment and Pollution Control, Councillors M.Rathika (Ward 164) and J.Kayalvizhi (Ward 169), GCC Commissioner Dr.J.Radhakrishnan, IAS, Supriya Sahu, IAS – Additional Chief Secretary to Government (Environment Climate Change & Forests) and officials from TNPCB.
Scores of school and college students participated with great alacrity, also taking an oath to keep the beaches clean. A sand sculpture on marine life was also featured at the beach. Information boards were set up on various marine life with emphasis on the endangered species. An installation of a fish, created using the plastic waste retrieved from the ocean, caught the attention of people. “It not only portrays the sad reality of pollution in our oceans but also raises an alarm about the serious threat to marine biodiversity,” tweeted Supriya Sahu about the installation. Ma.Subramanian and V.Meyyanathan flagged off the beach cleanup event and administered the oath.
GCC Commissioner Dr.J.Radhakrishnan reviews a video by the GCC, on source segregation, at Elliot’s beach.
Installation made out of plastic waste
Later, on the occasion of World Turtle Day (May 23), Supriya Sahu tweeted a video of turtle hatchlings being released at Elliot’s beach and stated, “We are deeply committed to protecting our turtles in Tamil Nadu. A state-of-the-art turtle conservation and rehabilitation centre is being set up at a cost of Rs 6.3 crores at Chennai as announced by the Government of Tamil Nadu. We will also take steps to set up more turtle hatcheries this year thereby protecting more turtles. Thanks to the dedicated forest staff and volunteers we have set a new paradigm in turtle conservation in Tamil Nadu.”
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Students from Vidya Ratna participate in the clean up drive
On May 21, students of Vidya Ratna P.T.S Matriculation Higher Secondary participated at the Mega beach clean up drive. They were fueled by Principal Vijayalakshmi Ravikumar’s inspiration of being the change they wanted to see, through their active participation.
Under the leadership of the Principal and a team of dedicated teachers, the students showed exemplary commitment and enthusiasm in their participation, making their school stand out with the highest number of participants among all the schools involved. Their zeal, dedication, and sincere efforts were not only appreciated by the organisers but also by all the other participants.
“The success of this clean drive was made possible due to the collective efforts of various stakeholders – government, organisers, the school management, teachers, and parents. The encouragement played a significant role in instilling the value of social responsibility in the young minds,” said a spokesperson from the school.
This event not only helped create a cleaner environment but also served as a powerful lesson in civic duty and the importance of actively contributing to society. “The Vidya Ratnas have truly shown that they have the potential to be agents of positive change and make a difference in their community,” said the school.
Residents request action on beach upkeep
Elliot’s beach was declared as a ‘Litter-Free’ zone on Jan.6, 2020. Despite it, the beach has been subjected to a lot of garbage strewn by the visitors and the shops present there.
Civic body, Spark, has been actively pointing out the issues the beach faces. On May 21, they spoke to the Commissioner about the beach and requested him to implement stricter policies to maintain cleanliness at the beach and protect marine and coastal life. They also requested the government not to use artificial colouring for making sand art.
Some of the issues highlighted by SPARK:
- Littering (including food waste) on the beach by visitors and vendors despite it being a Litter Free Zone.
- Encroachment and constructions have been extended up to the Governor’s guest house, destroying the coastal habitat.
- A large public space has been leased out to a private commercial establishment for an amusement park, depriving the space for the public and rubble has been dumped, destroying the permeability of the sandy beach.
- Homeless people and transient travellers take refuge overnight on the pedestrian pathway and mess up the area.
- Unrestrained number of mobile food stalls taking up large areas of the beach and trespassing into the walk path.
- Stray dog’s nuisance and threat to public in general – this problem extends well beyond the beach.
- Open fish market occupying the road near the church leading to road blockage and leftovers after the day’s business.
- Ever overflowing drainage near Murugan Idly shop is a health hazard, besides being an eyesore with a foul smell.
- Feeding pigeons on the beach has become a menace, besides being a serious health hazard due to their droppings, which carry pathogens having adverse impact on human health, causing severe respiratory and skin disorders.
- There is an increase of sound and light pollution that has an adverse impact on coastal and marine eco-system.
- Concretisation of the Edward Elliot’s Beach owing to rapid urbanisation, is accelerating the rate of soil erosion.
- It is also heard that the beach being misused for drugs and liquor.
The team also gave the below recommendations:
- Penalising the public and vendors for littering the beach and cancelling their licence.
- Demarcating the sandy beach area to prevent any construction or encroachment of beaches beyond the fishermen’s hamlet.
- Cancel the leased area (amusement park), reclaim the beach and provide free access to the public.
- Increase night police patrol to prevent people staying overnight on the beach.
- Demarcate the food zones on either side of the beach with number restriction and remove all the stalls blocking the sea view.
- To ban cooking of food on the beach.
- To create a society in both the villages (Urur Kuppam and Okiyam Kuppam) and have a common food court on either side of Elliot’s beach and prevent non fishing communities from having stalls near the beach.
- Provide a modern infrastructure to the fish vendors so that they don’t encroach the road and also improve the condition of their market place with a value addition to their product and enhance their self esteem.
- CMWSSB intervention needed for a permanent solution to prevent overflowing drainage on MG Road / 7th Avenue Besant Nagar, near Murugan Idly Shop.
- Ban feeding pigeons on the beach.
- Restriction on putting up stalls towards the sea, to reduce illumination and implement the norms on sound pollution strictly as per the pollution control board’s guidelines.
- No concretisation of beach as per the Coastal Regulation Zone Authority (CRZ)
- Proper maintenance of the Schmidt Memorial, which is a Heritage building.
- Regulate the number of marathons conducted at the beach because they pollute the most with plastics and other edible wastes on the road.
on May 26, members of SPARK met Commissioner J.Radhakrishnan, IAS, and Mayor R.Priya, at his office and apprised him on the issues. They have promised to visit the beach and look into the issues.
