CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is all set to privatise the cleaning and maintenance of five beaches, including the Marina and the Elliot’s, at a cost of Rs 11.64 crore for a contract period of one year. Maintenance of Srinivasapuram, Thiruvanmiyur and New beaches are also to be privatised.
The Marina, which spans 250 acres, is one of the most visited beaches in Chennai, collecting an average waste of around 5.5 tonne to 7 tonne every day.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior GCC official said while the zones in which these five beaches are located are covered by Urbaser Sumeet, its scope of work extends only up to the service road and does not include the beach.
As a result, the beaches have been left uncleaned except during special occasions when cleaning is carried out with the assistance of Urbaser or Chennai Enviro Solutions Private Limited along with a few of GCC’s own staff.
With the privatisation, workers will be equipped with vehicles for beach combing. The GCC is also taking measures to regulate unauthorised shops. Beach captains and marshals will be given point of sale machines to levy spot fine for littering. They will also be equipped with walkie-talkies.
“We believe this privatisation will help clean the beach completely by June or July. The beaches will be maintained regularly from then on,” the official said.
Under the new proposal, GCC has decided to divide the Marina into six sectors, equipped with machines to clean waste from the sand and a seventh sector to collect the waste brought in by the waves to the shore along the stretch from the Napier Bridge to Pattinapakkam.
For the cleaning operations, each of the three sectors will have tractor-tippers with drivers and a designated tractor at the seashore. In addition, one supervisor and 10 sanitary workers will be hired for each sector on a contract basis. These staff will work in two shifts, from 6 am to 2 pm and 2 pm to 10 pm.
The total cost for maintaining the Marina is estimated at Rs 7.09 crore. Additionally, 100 bins will be placed on the beach. Currently, the Greater Chennai Corporation operates seven tractor vehicles for beach maintenance.
The Srinivasapuram, Elliot, and Thiruvanmiyur beaches, which cover a total area of 95 acres, will be divided into five sectors, with two tractor-tippers deployed for cleaning operations. Each sector will have a supervisor and 10 sanitary workers on a contract basis, at a cost of Rs 4.54 crore.
Each sector is expected to have its own team of workers, easily identifiable by their colour-coded uniforms. A command room will be set up at each beach to monitor the activities.