Ecologists concerned over memorial plan

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced the proposal in the Assembly on Wednesday and the PWD officials said, “It will take a minimum of six months for work to start.” The officials added that the PWD has called for designs from all over the world. 

“Once the designs arrive, an expert committee would go through them and select the best one, based on which the memorial would be built,” the officials said. The memorial will come up over her present burial place in front of the Madras University on the Marina Beach, they noted.    However, the announcement of the place has not gone down well with environmentalists. 

According to Jayaram Venketesan of Arapoar Iyakkam, which handles environmental issues, “It is a grey area, but definitely the move will infringe on CRZ (Coastal Regulatory Zone) rules. But the government will get over the high court ruling passed some time ago, which stated that the government should not bury leaders on the Marina, considered the world’s second largest beach in the future.  

The government will get over this by stating that they are not using up new space but are only planning to build the memorial in the existing MGR memorial.” Environmentalist Nithyanand Jayaraman, when asked, said, “This is a minor issue for the state government which has gobbled up 1,000 acres at Ennore. 

Though the memorial is being built for a former CM, it will sound the death knell for Chennai city and ultimately be its memorial also.”  

PMK founder S Ramadoss averred, “The late CM was convicted in the disproportionate asset case and hence she will always remain a convict. The government should understand that a memorial should be raised only for a person, known for probity in public life.”