CHENNAI: Famed beaches like Chennai’s Marina and Nagapattinam’s Velankanni drew hundreds of visitors since early morning on Monday as the State reopened its beaches, after about four months. Along with beaches, several other popular tourist spots, from the Poompuhar ferry service to Vivekananda Rock and Thiruvalluvar statue in Kanniyakumari to the famed parks and boat clubs in Kodaikanal welcomed visitors.
The day also saw resumption of inter-State bus services, to Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, after a gap of nearly three months. While Chennai’s Vandalur Zoo is expected to open later this week, Coimbatore’s VOC Park saw its first visitors on the day, after a 17-month gap.
Incidentally, the relaxations came into force on a day when Health Minister Ma Subramanian released a survey pointing to very low adherence to Covid safety norms in public places. However, many cared only to catch a break from the confines of their houses. “We don’t mind if it is an old movie. Watching a movie in the theatre is an experience we have not had in a while,” said L Govindarajan, a Chennai resident.
He had to return disappointed though. Although allowed to function with 50 per cent occupancy, theatres are only planning to reopen on Thursday or Friday. “There are no new releases, so we have to wait for a few,” said Ruban Mathivanan, owner of GK Cinemas in Chennai’s Porur. Many think opening close to the weekend might help bring in more crowds.
Lion safari off limits
Chennai: Even as Chennai’s Vandalur Zoo gears up to welcome visitors later this week, its main attraction, the lion safari, will be closed for tourists. Earlier this year, two lions had died and several tested positive for the Delta variant