A walk on the Marina, after 9 months

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A walk on the Marina, after 9 months

SOPs Violated, Sands Unclean; Besant Nagar Beach Barricaded

Komal.Gautham@timesgroup.com

15.12.2020

Riyaz Khan, a resident of Sowcarpet, had been going for a walk along the lanes near his house all these nine months. He had known those lanes for years, but morning walks along them seemed strange. On Monday, he was back in familiar territory. Shut for nine months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Marina was finally declared open.

“After nine months I walked on the sand and I felt very happy,” Riyaz said.

Walkers, cyclists, fitness enthusiasts, nature lovers and casual visitors flocked the beach in droves. However, absence of standard operating procedures was a concern, and a littered beach and damaged equipment marred the experience of an outing long awaited. “No one was following the standard safety protocol,” said Riyaz.

At Besant Nagar, though, there was little activity. The beach was barricaded and the usual pomp on the promenade were missing. The park equipment were broken and sanitary workers had begun cleaning the beach only on Monday morning. Damaged shanties stood in heaps on the sand.

On the Marina, corporation and police personnel did not regulate visitors or check them for Covid symptoms. While all push carts, recreational and park equipment were not functional, most of the visitors did not wear masks.

“We do not have standard operating procedures so we do not know how to regulate the crowd now. Police officials ensured barricades were placed so that two-wheelers and cars were not allowed in the service lanes,” said a senior corporation official from the Teynampet zone.

Asked about the lack of cleanliness, the official said beach-cleaning machines were deployed. “We have cleaned the beach every day even when the visitors were not there. At Besant Nagar, cleaning began in the morning and the new contractor cleared garbage from the service lane,” said an official.

The official said vendors are yet to open shops. “We are waiting for a few more days for the SOPs to come,” he said.

Besant Nagar, an official said, will be barricaded during the New Year and Pongal holidays and people will not be allowed near the water. U Rakesh, a resident of Adyar, said he was eagerly waiting for the beach to open. “I usually go cycling and I missed the beach a lot. I am very happy that it is now open. However, we have to wait and see how the crowd behaves as New Year and Pongal are coming,” he said.

MARINA

BESANT NAGAR

MAMALLAPURAM

TOWARDS NORMALCY: Chennai residents flocked to the Marina beach on Monday morning. But the buzz was missing at the Besant Nagar beach. Tourists returned to Mamallapuram which may again get crowded in the weekend