Around 9.30 a.m. on January 23, a large number of vendors, mostly women, gathered near the Vinayakar Temple on the sands of Marina Beach as shops remained shut. On the Marina Beach, it has taken generations of protests, judicial intervention, and civic activism to strike a balance between the livelihood of vendors, environmental protection, and the safety of visitors. The associations are Anna MGR Manarparappu Sirukadai Viyaparigal Sangam; Kannagi Silai Sirukadai Viyaparigal Sangam; Subash Chandrabose Manarparappu Viyaparigal Sangam; Marina Vivekanandar Illam Manarparappu Viyaparigal Sangam; Avvaiyar Silai Sirukadai Viyaparigal Sangam; Tamil Nadu Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Kattumaram Matrum Meenpidi Thozhilalar Amaippu; Kamarajar Silai Sirukadai Viyabarigal Sangam; Gandhi Silai Sirukadai Viyaparigal Sangam; and Anna Dr. Kalaignar Sirukadai Viyaparigal Sangam. In January, Additional Chief Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forests Supriya Sahu had posted on X: “Chennai, let’s welcome the first set of turtle eggs on the Marina Beach as the nesting season begins. Let’s keep beaches clean and undisturbed.”“The tussle between preserving nature and regulating shops on the Marina has been a long-drawn issue.

Source: The Hindu January 25, 2026 07:52 UTC