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Marina
Beach,
at 13km long, is the second longest beach in the world,
after Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. It forms
the shoreline of Chennai, one of India's four major
metropolitan cities and is located on the Eastern
coast of the country (called the Coromandel Coast).
Unlike the short, rocky formations that make up the
Juhu Beach in Mumbai on the west coast of India, the
Marina is primarily sandy. Another famous characteristic
of the beach is the set of beautiful stone statues
that adorn the roadside area of the beach. Some of
these statues are of famous people like Mahatma Gandhi
while others have symbolic significance (like the
diginity of labour). Recently, a statue of Kannagi,
a heroine of one of Tamil literature's most famous
classics (the (Silappadhikaram by Elangovadigal) was
torn down by the ruling government for seemingly farcical
reasons.
The
Marina used to be famed for its pristine beauty and
rich ecosystems. However, since the middle of the
20th century, much of the beach and the water has
become polluted. A proliferation of plastic bags,
human waste and other pollutants have rendered many
parts of the beach unusable. In recent years, many
voluntary organisations have taken up the task of
cleaning up the Marina and protecting the ecosystem.(With
the introduction of semi automatic cleaning machines
by the government in the year 2003 the Marina beach
is very clean and every part of it can be used) Particular
efforts include protection of Olive-Ridley turtle
nests along the Neelangarai section of the beach.
Despite these problems however, a visit to the Marina
is a sine qua non for any tourist coming to Chennai.
Copyright
2004. www.tamilselvi.com
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