Date:05/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/05/stories/2008070550500300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Encroachments removed from Elliots beach

Staff Reporter

Photo: M. Karunakaran

CLEARED: A crane is used to remove the stalls set up by hawkers outside the designated space on Elliot’s Beach in Chennai on Thursday. —

Chennai: The Chennai Corporation on Thursday removed encroachments on the Elliot’s beach in Besant Nagar and directed hawkers to stay within a designated area.

Only a month ago, the civic body had taken up a similar drive on the beach.

But the hawkers had again moved out of the space allocated for them.

About 100 makeshift shops, including ice-cream, soft drinks and balloon stalls, were cleared.

Two earthmovers and a crane were used to dismantle the shops.

60 employees pressed into work

About 60 Corporation employees worked to clear the encroachments.

Corporation officials of the Adyar zone would monitor the situation regularly to ensure that the beach remained free of encroachments, a release here said.