CRZ nod for disabled-friendly walkways on Marina

A Chennai Corporation official said that the clearance was accorded during a recent Central CRZ committee meeting. “As per the proposal, the walkways for the differently-abled persons would come behind the Labour Statue and Gandhi Statue. Using the facilities, differently-abled persons can use their wheelchairs to reach the tideline. As of now, moving wheelchairs on beach sand is virtually impossible,” the official said.

According to the proposal submitted by the civic body to the committee, walkway behind the Labour Statue would be 380 metres in length and three metres in width. Similarly, the second walkway behind the Gandhi Statue would be 125 metres in length and three metres in width. The spots where the walkways would come up falls under CRZ-1A.

“The project is in public interest and no irreversible damage is likely to be caused to the marine ecology or the CRZ characteristics of the beach by setting up such temporary walkways, which are meant solely for the benefit of the differently-abled persons,” the committee had noted.

The walkways would be created in such a way that it would be easy to be dismantled. The Chennai Corporation is planning to use marine wood and plywood for the same. Wooden handrails at a height of 1.2 metres would be provided on both sides of the walkways to ensure safety and support to the differently-abled. The civic body would spend Rs 90 lakh to create the twin walkways.

It is learnt that the Tamil Nadu Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNCZMA) had already cleared the project and forwarded the same to the central committee for final approval.

While according to the approval for the construction of walkways, the committee had reiterated that the walkways should not be allowed to be used as pathways for bicycles, two-wheelers and others. Also, the committee had refused to allow concrete structures on the beach. “As the clearance has been received, we will float tenders to start the work,” the official said.