Chennai: Tamil Nadu is blessed with a long coastline; beautiful Bay of Bengal. Thousands of families live down the coastline and thousands more come visiting the beaches as tourists. This human co-habitation with the therapeutic blue that provides huge opportunities of entertainment, sport and exercise besides the usual livelihood by way of fishing.
There are also dangers; cases of drowning at sea but the disturbing factor are not just the cases of drowning but the element of pollution caused by coastal communities, the tourists and industries. While the government and local authorities do their bit to control such environmental harm, at times some officials and politicians either view issues in myopic form or cause impediments just to wrench ‘mamools’ from the beach users, while depriving them of permissible pleasures.
It appears that the captains of Chennai corporation right now are caught up with some such confusion as several sports enthusiasts’ and Chennaiites are left biting their nails after the civic body turned off the green light on their annual frisbee and slum soccer tournament. It turned from green to red, citing marine environment factors.
The organisers of an international frisbee tournament, The Ultimate Frisbee Club, (UFC) Adyar has been trying to get permission to conduct the tournament since August 23. “They have just tossed out of the window a bank draft for Rs 45,000 that their official had collected from us, promising all clearances to conduct this year’s edition of the annual tournament during the end of September at Marina beach”, said Mukesh Krishna of Ultimate Frisbee Club, which has been holding the tournament during September-October every year, since 2011.
“After giving us a list of requirements, all of which we complied with, they have now thrown out our application and the DD on our face. We had already informed our participating teams including many from abroad”, Krishna added. According to Krishna, 20 teams from India and abroad are playing this not so popular game in the country. Last year, the tournament held at Besant Nagar around this time beach was packed up on the first day, after police received a complaint from an 84-year-old Kamakshi, a local resident.
In her complaint, she said the Olive Rid Ridley turtles will be disturbed and some insects in the soil get killed due to the lights from floodlights used during tournament. When DC contacted Kamakshi her phone was switched off.
“On seeking permission to conduct the tournament this year at Besant Nagar beach, the then Regional Deputy Commissioner (RDC) South zone, denied permission citing the same environmental reasons”, added Krishna.
Later, organisers met Chennai Mayor Saidai S. Duraisamy and handed over the letter seeking permission to play the game at Marina on August 23. The letter was immediately forwarded to corporation office at Shenoy Nagar. Subsequently, section manager Ranganathan started working on the file. “He asked us to submit a Demand Draft for Rs 45,000 (rent for 3 days), and it was duly submitted to the officer on September 7”, said Krishna.
While the organisers were expecting the approval on September 12, corporation-superintending engineer (special projects) S. Rajendran, took a U-turn and refused to grant permission again citing environmental reasons. The process was dilly-dallying from August 23 until they were asked to take back the DD on September 12.
“A game like this must be encouraged and by denying permission, Chennai is earning a bad name in the international sports scenario”, said Manu Karan, president of UFC.
Meanwhile, the organisers of beach football tournament scheduled from September 27 to October 1, is also running from pillar from post to get the permission to conduct the tournament on the beach sponsored by Spanish company Gamesa, as part of their corporate social responsibility.
Slum Soccer, a Non-Governmental Organisation is conducting the tournament for underprivileged kids from the slums since last year. Head coach of Slum Soccer alleges that the officials said, “No other event is supposed to happen on the beach other than beach clean up”. Last year we conducted the game without any hassle. This year they denied permission. We are still holding talks with the corporation officials, he added.
“By illegally laying roads and illegally setting up lights from Thiruvanmiyur to Uthandi the corporation of Chennai has become the biggest violator of beach space. Moreover, how can they decide to own the beach ”, asks environmentalist Jayaraman.
Olive Ridleys and Beach Soccer, a frisbee thrown in
Ecologists and foresters differ with corporation officials on Olive Ridley nesting period. One of the reasons, put forth by the corporation officials is that the frisbee and soccer teams will be disturbing the nests and the floodlights will hinder the nesting turtles.
When DC contacted Ms Akila Balu, volunteer, Save Sea Turtle Network, who has been associated with Chennai turtle walk for more than two decades said, “Mama Ridleys will still be thousands of miles away from their nesting ground in our beaches. They will start arriving only by December and the beach games can go one till November and such events will no way be a threat to the turtles," she said. Both these sports involve large population including local youngsters.
Further these tournament players came to the local residents last week and explained that they will switch off their floodlights on the beach by the first week of October, she said.
According to Student Sea Turtle Network, every year about 10,000 to 20,000 hatchlings are released in to the wild from March to April and last year the hatchling turnout was just 9,000.
