CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation has collected 42 tonnes of garbage from the two most popular family haunts in the city — Elliot’s and Marina beaches, almost five times higher than the daily average, after Pongal celebrations ended.
Around 15 tonnes of garbage was collected from Elliot’s beach whereas 27 tonnes of garbage had been swept up from Marina beach. The Corporation data put the daily average collection at around five tonnes. The continuing trend of increased garbage in the beaches after Pongal celebrations has left animal activists a worried lot ahead of the Olive Ridley nesting season. With February considered to be the peak nesting season for turtles, activists and volunteers have their work cut out for them. “We have in fact found turtles that have laid eggs inside the garbage. So, when they camouflage the eggs by covering it with sand, the garbage gets buried with it,” Shravan Krishnan, a Chennai-based animal rights activist, said.
“The Corporation has to come up with ways to prevent the dumping rather than cleaning it up after the damage has been done. Starting with more signboards asking the public not to litter, they could also impose a fine for littering, especially since the Olive Ridleys are an endangered species,” he added.