Certification and Celebration

Earlier in August, the Marina Beach received the Blue Flag certification, a recognition from a Danish foundation for environmental education. The Government, while thanking the agency, declared that this would boost tourism, promote fisheries-dependent livelihoods, and ensure sustainable coastal management. The idea, it appears, is to extend this effort to other beaches along the coast.

All this sounds welcome. But the ground reality suggests the recognition was obtained by means of a cosmetic clean-up of the beach without addressing fundamental issues. Are we running after certificates without having the basics in place?

The Marina of the Past

Around three decades ago, the Marina could have obtained Blue Flag certification without any effort. It was clean, had no vending stalls, and was as natural as a beach could be. Fishing boats and nets were scattered along the shore. Families bought snacks from itinerant vendors, wet their feet in the water, and sat in the sand, enjoying the breeze.

That idyll did not last. The Greater Chennai Corporation and other agencies including the police, whose office is right by the beach allowed unauthorised vending to proliferate. Stalls were permitted, something that could never have been possible without political connivance.

From Vending to Waste

Eventually, the vendors became powerful enough to resist removal. In classic Chennai style, the earlier vendors opposed later entrants, overlooking the fact that all occupation of the beach was illegal anyway. The Courts had to intervene, and a modicum of order was restored — though more in breach than observance.

Even today, the continued presence of stalls means accumulation of food waste, the proliferation of stray dogs, and the uncontrolled feeding of pigeons that have now gone feral. While no one is against animals or birds, their unchecked presence is hardly what is expected in a city’s prime public space.

A Clean-Up for the Inspectors

That beach litter is a massive problem became clear before the certification inspection. Over 500 volunteers had to be pressed into service for a massive clean-up drive. This only proves that routine conservancy has long lost meaning at the Marina.

To what purpose then the bamboo bins, beach umbrellas and watch towers? We managed without them for nearly a century. Does it not reveal something seriously lacking in our civic discipline, and even more so, in our civic administration?

Fishermen Left Out

The certification also came with promises that it would promote fisheries and aid coastal management. But the real stakeholders the fishermen have already dismissed these claims. They argue that the certification is detrimental to their livelihood, cutting off access to vital parts of the beach. They also say they were never consulted during the process.

The Coastal Management Sham

As for coastal management, the reality is farcical. Just a few kilometres away, the High Court has had to pull up the authorities over luxury houses being built right on the coastline, in blatant violation of CRZ rules. These illegal structures stand as proof of collusion between the wealthy and those meant to regulate construction.

A Beach for the Elite?

Taken all in all, the Blue Flag certification looks less like a victory for Marina and more like an elitist exercise. It risks cordoning off a part of the beach for the well-to-do while the rest of the coastline languishes under neglect and mismanagement.

This article appeared in Madras Musings– https://madrasmusings.com/vol-35-no-11/does-the-beach-really-need-a-blue-flag/

My book, Chennai, A Biography can be ordered– http://- https://sriramv.com/2021/12/27/how-to-buy-autographed-copies-of-chennai-a-biography-from-outstation/