Minister K.N. Nehru inspected the Marina Beach on Saturday.
Minister for Municipal Administration and Water Supply K.N. Nehru on Saturday directed officials to carry out mechanical cleaning of the civic infrastructure on the beaches and prevent encroachments.
New robotic excavators will also be deployed by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to clean the waterbodies in the city and prevent plastic from reaching the ocean. The Minister inspected the Marina Beach on Saturday.
Starting Sunday, the GCC will deploy all-terrain vehicles to monitor the beaches real-time and report any encroachments. The all-terrain vehicles will also keep a check on any violations to the waste management rules on the beaches.
In a bid to prevent new encroachments on the Marina, staff deployed by the GCC will monitor the entire stretch of six km of the beach — from the Cooum River mouth to the Adyar estuary — round the clock. The staff members will also identify any new shops being set up on the beach. The all-terrain vehicles will also be deployed at the Edward Elliot’s Beach to prevent encroachments.
The GCC staff will work in three shifts to keep a round-the-clock check on the disposal of garbage on the beaches.
The number of beach vendors in the city has reportedly increased from 1,400 to 2,000.
Following the direction of Minister Nehru, the GCC will start deep cleaning of the Marina Beach swimming pool. The civic body is planning to facilitate an online booking system for the Marina beach swimming pool. As the tenure of the concessionaire has ended, the GCC plans to maintain the swimming pool with its own staff members.