CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation is planning redevelopment of the Marina beach. The officials have sought technical assistance of landscape architects to come up with a theme before initiating discussions with other concerned departments, said a senior corporation official.
As part of the beautification projects undertaken across the city by the civic body, the six-km stretch along the Marina, one of the biggest attractions in the city, is to be redeveloped.
The civic body recently undertook small projects, including lighting up the artificial waterfall and the rock fountain near the labour statue. "The theme will be finalised by the end of this month," said an official from the special projects department.
Officials said after the theme is finalised, they will hold consultations with other departments including the Highways, CMDA and Metro Rail, to discuss feasibility and ensure that the timing does not intersect with ongoing projects from other departments.
"The Marina has political and historical significance so the corporation can’t take it up without discussions with all departments concerned and there is absolutely no room for mistakes. We also have to ensure that there are no Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations and so we don’t want to implement the project in a hurried manner," a senior corporation official told The New Indian Express.
While the civic body is set to take up landscaping and other development initiatives, the smart kiosks that were designed and procured for Marina vendors still remain unused, with vendors claiming that the smart push carts were designed without consulting them.
The vendors said the carts were not made to accommodate standing individuals for a long period of time, in terms of size and design.
The corporation, in 2017, had also taken up beautification work in Marina and Elliots beaches at a cost of Rs 29 crore, in association with the tourism department and a bulk of funds were sanctioned by the Centre under the 'Swadesh Darshan' scheme.