CHENNAI: The massive crowd that showed up on Sunday to witness the IAF’s air show at the Marina Beach, was largely left stranded amid dangerous congestion and noon-time heat once the spectacle concluded. People who had waited for hours under the sun, poured into the streets, nearby bus stops, metro and railway stations. Roads leading to and from the location became quickly overwhelmed, with ambulances getting stuck, unable to pass through the traffic, sources said.
“As soon as the event was over, it was as if the public was forgotten. We were left on our own,” said Nirmala, a college student from Periamet. Public transport, particularly the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) stations, were flooded with thousands of commuters trying to make their way home. Despite the Chennai Metro Rail increasing train frequency on key routes, it struggled to manage the sudden rush of passengers. Numerous attendees expressed frustration at the lack of planning and preparation.
Adding to the poor planning was the danger of injury and suffocation within the moving crowd. Some even climbed upon compound walls and trees to catch their breath. “People were pushing and shoving. There was a moment when I thought the crowd would get out of control,” recalled Chaitanya, who had travelled to the spot all the way from Tambaram.
The lack of essential amenities nearby left numerous parents struggling to find water and food for their children. “We did not know it was going to be this bad. I brought three two-litre bottles and they got over inside the venue itself, as we were made to sit on the scorching sand. There’s no shop nearby to buy water bottles or even biscuits for my son,” said Latha, another attendee. Many parents were spotted asking around for water and food from those who had brought some along.
Sathish Kumar, a wheelchair user, said that buses and cabs were restricted entry near the venue and he had to travel three kilometres from the Omandurar Estate Metro to get to the beach. Although there were shuttle services, none of them were low-floor buses, he noted.
“We tried to approach government agencies including the MTC and Chennai corporation to make the event accessible for persons with disabilities, but nothing was done. They didn’t even consider it. The officers who were on duty at the venue didn’t have any idea on how to guide us,” he said.
Moreover, the disability pathway at Marina Beach was instead used by VIPs to reach their respective seats, Kumar said. “The air show is not visible from the service road. We had to fight for more than an hour to be allowed access to the disability pathway,” he added.
(With inputs from Subashini Vijayakumar)
