24.9.14

Somewhere in Chennai....


The promenade in front of the famous Marina sands is set to get an all-new green cover. Stretching for 6 km from Anna Square to the lighthouse, it will be lined with trees of a variety that grows best in coastal areas. The decision on the makeover was taken following complaints that the existing longitudinal green space, raised between the pavement on Kamarajar Salai and the service lane, has only been growing weed and grass, a corporation official said. The lawn is surrounded by a fence.
Now, several trees of a species locally called punnai (Calophyllum inophyllum) are proposed to be grown along the stretch. “This is a good species of tree,” said Shoba Menon, founder of Nizhal, an NGO promoting tree culture in urban areas. “We need to bring back such trees to the city. Mylapore was supposed to be a punnaivanam (forest of punnai) but obviously they have become rare,“ she said. Apart from holding mythological and religious significance, the tree is said to possess medicinal properties and its seeds are used to extract oil. “Its glossy leaves will be unaffected by pollution and can withstand the weather of the sea side,“ a corporation official said. It will be a slow growing tree with medium and large branches hanging low.
“We also plan to put up seasonal flowering plants around the statues along the stretch,” the official said. The new lawn too will be protected by a fence to restrict cattle, littering and at the same time not obstruct the view of the beach.
Some landscaping has also been planned by architects. Tenders will be called once the civic body finalises one of the designs. Work is expected to begin in the first week of November.
In January this year, the corporation sanctioned Rs.5 crore to set up a musical colour fountain and Rs.43 lakh for plants and landscaping as part of the Marina beautification plan that has been in progress in phases over the past year.
During the tenure of the previous government, led by the DMK, Rs.30 crore was spent on beautifying the Marina.

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