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.