The Hindu                    09.04.2013

On beaches, Corporation fights the litter bug

Sand-cleaning machine employed every day; broken garbage bins are also being repaired.

With the heat increasing by the day and summer holidays just beginning, scores of city residents and tourists are heading to most Chennaiites’ favourite haunt — the Marina beach.

The throng also tends to litter the sands. Bagfuls of ice cream sticks, peanut shells, corn cobs, plastic covers, food waste and water sachets are cleared by conservancy workers each day.

In view of the summer rush, the Chennai Corporation has begun to focus on clearing garbage from the Marina and the Elliots’ beaches.

“In a place where thousands of people gather, garbage is bound to be generated. We are taking special care this season to clear the trash,” said a source in the civic body.

According to sources, around 12-14 tonnes of waste are cleared on weekdays and 20-22 tonnes on Saturdays and Sundays.

The Corporation’s sand-cleaning machine functions on all days from 5.30 a.m. to noon on the Marina and on alternate days on the Elliots’ beach in the afternoons. The Ashtalakshmi Koil beach is manually cleaned daily. Cleaning at night is not possible on any of these beaches as residents from nearby localities sleep on the sands.

Sources in Ramky Enviro Engineers Pvt Ltd, which clears the garbage from the beaches, said that the company has planned to replace broken bins as per the directions of the Chennai Corporation. “There are 13 bins on the Marina, and seven on Elliots. We are also painting a few bins with cartoon characters and messages to attract youngsters,” said a source.

“People come to the beach to eat and spend and enjoy themselves. They do not bother to hold onto the waste until they see a bin. We do keep small bins near our establishments but only those who sit and eat near our kiosks use them. We also clean the space near our shops after the day’s work is done,” said Haricharan, who runs a fast food joint on the Marina.

Around 12-14 tonnes of waste are cleared on weekdays and 20-22 tonnes on weekend.