Let's Keep the Parks and Beaches Open
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Registered with the Reg. No. TN/CH(C)/374/18-20 Registrar of Newspapers Licenced to post without prepayment for India under R.N.I. 53640/91 Licence No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-506/18-20 Publication: 1st & 16th of every month Rs. 5 per copy (Annual Subscription: Rs. 100/-) INSIDE Short ‘N’ Snappy Resurrecting the Lakes of Madras The Story of a Wordsmith Tamil Short Fiction Tamil Nadu’s Quest for Gold www.madrasmusings.com WE CARE FOR MADRAS THAT IS CHENNAI Vol. XXX No. 13 December 16-31, 2020 Let’s keep the parks and beaches open e are not out of the that time this announcement various phases of the unlock Wwoods as yet as far as made sense, it being in line process, places of worship, Covid 19 is concerned. But it with the closing down of other gymnasiums, clubs, hotels and cannot be denied that numbers places of public congregation restaurants, and cinema the- are falling at present. The State including cinema halls, places atres opened up. Even wedding is reporting around 1,200 cases of worship, gymnasiums and halls were back in business a day, of which about a third clubs. Even then, there was and even though they were is from Chennai. Once again, a section of influencers such officially not supposed to cater the statistics are encouraging to more than 200 people at a in the city as well. It is in the time, reality pointed at much light of this that the continued by The Editor larger figures, an aspect that locking up of the beach and the authorities chose to turn the parks remained a puzzle, the proverbial blind eye to. It especially when closed-door as doctors that did state that must be pointed out here that venues for entertainment and keeping parks and beaches all of these sectors had associa- relaxation had already been open was not harmful and tions and pressure groups that opened up. It finally required could actually provide people successfully lobbied with the the High Court to intervene – under an enforced and pro- administration. a matter as simple as allowing longed lockdown outlet for rec- Parks and beaches were road behind and the sands were of these open spaces but the us access to our open spaces reation. After all they argued, another matter altogether. off limits. This enforced over- vendors at the Marina began needed legal recourse! these were open air spaces and Despite all the openings up crowding on the walkway while repeatedly requesting the Gov- The Marina and other so had lesser risk of spread of listed above, these lungs of the a perfectly good parallel stretch ernment to open the place up, beaches, as well as parks in the virus. city remained firmly shut. At that could have shared the load citing loss of livelihood. The the city became out of bounds Since then, the actions of the Marina, the police began remained closed. The citizens High Court of Madras asked to people in March, when the the Government were nothing permitting people to walk on did not seem overly concerned lockdown was announced. At short of puzzling. Over the the promenade but the sunken about the continued lockdown (Continued on page 2) ISWD project hits stormy waters in ECR esidents of ECR are pro- cost of Rs. 300 crores and it is well as the recent Cyclone Biodiversity Areas by the Min- Ravanan Misa, which prevent Rtesting the building of this module that has run into Nivar. Residents are concerned istry of Environment, Forests beach erosion in the area. storm water drains in their trouble with some of ECR’s that the proposed storm water and Climate Change. The ge- The claim is that the work has neighbourhoods, fearing that residents. drains will instead harm the ography’s shore and inter-tidal commenced without an Envi- the move will do more harm A press release issued by water table by diverting water ecosystem nurtures a variety of ronment Impact Assessment than good. The storm water the COASWD (Coalition from natural percolation into plant and animal life, including approval, Coastal Regulation drains under contention come concrete drains that lead to the Olive Ridley turtles which Zone clearance or public con- under the scope of the Rs. by Our Special the sea. Since the area does famously come to these beach- sultation. 4,034 crore Integrated Storm Correspondent not have sewerage systems, the es to lay their eggs during the A statement issued by the Water Drain (ISWD) project proposed storm water drains nesting season. With outfall Superintending Engineer of which aims at building ad- run the risk of discharging pol- diverted towards the sea, it is the Storm Water Drain depart- equate drainage facilities in Against Storm Water Drains) luted water into the beaches. feared that the storm water ment of the GCC, however, extended areas comprising the asserts that the area does The COASWD points out drains would rob the turtles of reiterates that water stagnation city’s four river basins – Adyar not need storm water drains that such diversion will also a safe space to nest, since the is a problem in the area due to and Cooum, Kovalam and since the soil acts as a ‘natural hurt the coastal ecosystem embryos would be cut off from “urbanisation”, claiming that Kosasthalaiyar. The Kovalam drain’, pointing out that most in the neighbourhood, which oxygen if the sands are too wet. the authorities have had to portion of the ISWD project neighbourhoods remained safe includes areas like Kovalam The project is also expected to use pumping motors to bale is being funded by the German from water-logging during the and Muttukadu, designated as harm local plants such as the development bank KfW at a Chennai floods of 2015 as Important Coastal & Marine Ipomaea, the Spineifex and the (Continued on page 2) Madras Musings wishes all its readers A Very Happy & Prosperous New Year. 2 MADRAS MUSINGS December 16-31, 2020 Reopening parks and beaches (Continued from page 1) Fighting Covid in the air raise protests. The memory of the authorities about plans the Jallikattu gatherings may nd so the long-dreaded the near vicinity turned wavy and an overall suggestion that to allow access to the beach. still be fresh in the minds of Amoment arrived. No, it and a bright shade of yellow. people needed to be careful. The Corporation said it had is not what you think it is, or What with the mist forming Nowadays, with better tech- the powers that be. But even at least that is what The Man on MMM’s spectacles with nology in place, these forecasts no objection and that it was up if that were to be the reason, from Madras Musings thinks the mask and the blurred vi- have got a lot better. And to the State Government. The it is unfortunate that the lay you think. He alludes on the sion caused by the face shield, leading the pack are some Additional Advocate Gen- public, chafing for long under other hand to travelling by air MMM just about managed wonderful so-called amateur eral informed the Court that lockdown, economic hardships during this year of pandemic. to feel his way to the aircraft. weathermen who in MMM’s the beaches would remain and fear of infection, apart MMM had put off going any- He completed the journey view do a much better job in closed till November 30. And from loss of near and dear ones where outside Chennai for in a flurry of prayers and by analysing trends than the of- then, finally, it was announced to the pandemic, were denied long but this journey had to keeping his eyes tightly shut. ficial channels. Some of these that the long awaited opening access to spaces where they be made. Mercifully it was a The flight was bumpy as it is, weather bloggers have become short flight, just over an hour, what with it being monsoon celebrities as well, with follow- would be on December 14th. could relax and be rejuvenated. This reluctance to open but while it lasted, it seemed time, by which MMM refers ing on social media running It is not everyone who could a lifetime. to the three-and-a-half days of into several thousands, and up these recreation spots is afford to go to gymnasiums There was firstly the mat- the year when it rains in Chen- deservedly so. mysterious. It is most likely and clubs to be fit. The State ter of the paperwork. In the nai. And so MMM muttered But as in any celebrity- that with an election looming Government has a moral re- old paper-free way of living several prayers as well, apart hood, there are problems, large, the authorities were sponsibility to keep the parks to which we were all advised from furtively checking that his one among these being the extremely cautious about mak- and beaches open. And it us to adapt to, MMM had taken document of self-declaration of fans who expect their idols ing available any space where up to us citizens to ensure they to saving his boarding pass good health was safe. Arriving to come up with answers to people could congregate and remain that way. on his phone and showing it at his destination, MMM first just about any query. MMM, at the security checkpoint on removed the face shield and apart from reading what these entering the airport. Now he having regained normal vision, weathermen write, also derives was advised, he needed to take also attained a degree of com- much joy in scrolling down a printout of the same.