Eight beaches in Chennai to be revitalised – The Hindu

The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has started the process of development of nature trails and esplanades along eight beaches.

Following a recent government order for re-nourishment and revitalisation of the city beaches, the Greater Chennai Corporation Council on Saturday discussed various aspects of the project along the beaches. It was decided that a team of civic officials and councillors would inspect the stretch from Besant Nagar on Monday.

Councillors of 16 wards in the coastal zones of Teynampet, Adyar, Perungudi and Sholinganallur have started talking to residents’ associations about the proposals. Public consultations are expected to be conducted for the ₹100-crore project at some locations.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Hitesh Kumar S. Makwana said, “We have made proposals for eight beaches. This is just a beginning, and we are conceptualising the idea. It may take time. There are other aspects than beaches.”

CMDA Member-Secretary Anshul Mishra said the Special Purpose Vehicle created for the Chennai Shoreline Re-nourishment and Revitalisation (CSRR) Project was considering the revitalisation of the 31.6-km shoreline from the Marina to Kovalam and the linking of the fragmented stretches. “Beachfront areas we are looking at include Marina to Besant Nagar, Elliot’s to Neelankarai, Neelankarai to Akkarai, Akkarai to Kanathur and Kanathur to Kovalam. Some of the beaches we are looking at are Marina Beach, Broken Bridge, Elliot’s, Thiruvanmiyur, Neelankarai, Akkarai and Uthandi, and Muttukadu and Kovalam,” he said.

“An overview of our proposals includes eco-friendly infrastructure for preserving the ecology, like shore nourishments, ecosystem engineering like salt marshes, mangrove forest dunes,” said an official.

The project will include environment protection by ecologically enhanced hard solutions, including vegetated revetments and the use of natural materials. Hybrid eco-friendly infrastructure — a combination of grey and green infrastructure like a seawall with salt marshes — will be developed.

Esplanades and promenades are planned at places that are inaccessible now but to be made accessible through the project. “We will develop a boardwalk, nature trails, shoreline parks, cycle-tracks, wooden piers, wooden decks, ensuring universal access to all beaches. Basic amenities that are permitted under the Coastal Regulation Zone guidelines will be finalised, based on public consultations,” the official said.

The shoreline is the space between high tide line and low tide line, which is an intertidal zone. Intertidal zones have most of the ecologically sensitive zones for olive ridley turtles and sand dunes. The project covers conservation of coastal lines like coastal erosion and accretion areas, which all come under the Coastal Regulation Zone-I category, officials said.

The project along the shoreline is meant to protect, preserve and conserve these sensitive areas in the metropolitan area to make a better marine ecosystem, which, in turn, facilitates a healthy beachfront as vibrant public spaces in the near future, officials added.