CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has announced a Rs 5,000 fine for littering on the Marina Beach or any other beaches in the city, ahead of the Pongal festival when a large number of visitors are expected to throng the seashores. According to an official release, the fine will be imposed on anyone found violating the rules.
The civic body said the Marina Beach, being a symbol of Chennai and one of the city’s most prominent tourist attractions, is being upgraded and preserved on par with international standards. A portion of the beach has already received blue flag certification, while three more phases of the project are currently in process.
To maintain cleanliness, GCC has engaged Chennai Enviro Solutions Private Limited to operate seven beach-cleaning machines on the Marina. In addition, 274 conservancy workers have been deployed daily in rotational shifts. On an average, about four tonnes of waste is cleared every day from the Marina Beach alone, the release said.
For other major beaches, including Besant Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Palavakkam, Neelankarai, Akkarai along the ECR, and Thiruvottiyur, around 53 conservancy workers have been deployed for cleaning every day.
The city corporation is also set to deploy 22 Estonian beach-combing machines from Monday to improve efficiency in waste collection on city beaches, GCC Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran posted on X.
Despite these efforts, the civic body noted that the lack of public cooperation has resulted in garbage and food waste being found at several locations on the beaches, affecting their appearance and hygiene. In many instances, waste is being thrown in open areas instead of designated bins. This not only harms the environment and beauty of the Marina or other beaches but also adversely affects Chennai’s image among domestic and international tourists.
GCC said that as per the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, dumping of garbage, plastic waste, food leftovers, or any kind of waste in public places and on beaches is strictly prohibited. Anyone found violating the rules will be fined `5,000, it said. GCC has urged the public and tourists to act responsibly by disposing the waste in designated bins and extending full cooperation to the cleanliness efforts.
Speaking to TNIE, a corporation official said that the existing enforcement teams, along with field-level corporation staff, will closely monitor public littering behaviour and impose fines on those found violating the rules.
32 shops removed from Marina beach
Following a recent directive from the Madras High Court to reduce and regulate the number of shops on the Marina Beach, GCC has removed at least 32 shops from the stretch where the Phase-2 of blue flag project is set to be implemented. The project phase will cover the stretch from the Mahatma Gandhi Statue to Nochi Nagar, opposite Karaneeswarar Koil street. GCC Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran, in a post on X, said the Phase 2 blue flag area will cover 50 acres and will be a no-vending zone.