After Madras High Court directed Chennai Corporation to consider reopening Marina beach, the stall owners have urged the Tamil Nadu government and city corporation to reopen the beach soon. On Tuesday, the Madras High Court wondered why Tamil Nadu government has not reopened the Marina beach while other sectors have been permitted to reopen.
Following this, the women stall owners, who have been reportedly pushed to debt, urged the government to consider the Madras High Court’s direction and allow them to run the shops again. However, the Corporation officials said that they will take steps only after holding consultations with the government.
A senior official from the state government told TNM that unless the Union Government issues Unlock 5 guidelines in which points regarding the status of theatres and beaches are expected to be present, the state governments cannot open the beaches by itself. “The state governments have the power to only tighten the Unlock guidelines issued by the union government. It cannot relax the guidelines. So far, the union government’s guidelines have not permitted beaches to reopen. Only after Unlock 5 guidelines come, we will be able to take a call,” he added.
The Marina beach was closed to the public as soon as the nation-wide lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24. The women working in stalls in the beaches are still waiting for the government’s nod to reopen the stall.
In this background, Chamundeswari of National Coastal Women Movement said, the government and private companies have started works for their projects but the labourers, especially women are restricted from working at the Marina Beach. “Government and private offices are functioning and they have not come to a halt. However, the women not just from the fishing community but all the women working in Marina have been pushed into debts. So if the Marina Beach is reopened, all the women will benefit. Till now, we do not have any government support,” she said.
More than Marina beach, the private companies can result in spreading coronavirus but still they are allowed to function, she alleged. “The risk of COVID-19 infection is, in fact, more in these private companies than in Marina due to the open air circulation. However, why are they thinking that Marina will spread infection?” she asked.
Chamundeswari also said that women face domestic violence, economic violation and discrimination and hence the government should consider their plight. “Whenever there is a disaster women and children get the most affected. Even now, the women are surviving based on the women’s help group funds. They were independently working before lockdown but now they are facing stress, domestic violence and economic violation, discrimination. So the government should allow the workers to reopen the stall.”
When TNM asked a city corporation official, he refused to discuss the issue and said the corporation will come to a decision only after consultations with the government.
A corporation official said, “Since the case is being heard in the Madras High Court, we cannot comment about our decision. The Greater Chennai Corporation will submit the response in the Court. We can only take a decision based on the government’s directions after holding consultations.”
He said, “The government, even on Tuesday, said that the ban for people visiting beaches will continue till October 31.” The Tamil Nadu government issued an order on Tuesday extending the lockdown till October 31. In the order, the government said that the ban to reopen beaches will continue and also restricted public congregation.
(With inputs from Megha Kaveri)