The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is planning to set up an access ramp at Thiruvanmiyur Beach under Ward 180 in Adyar Zone (XIII). The project, worth ₹1.1729 crore, includes traffic kerbs, reinforced cement concrete (RCC) guard rails or ‘safety barriers’, and a wooden pathway leading to the beach. The GCC aims to complete the work in six months.
Persons with disabilities, however, alleged they were not consulted over the design for the ramp.
According to the GCC, the ramp will extend from the entrance to the shoreline, with a width of 2.5 m. It will be built using non-corrosive, weather-resistant materials such as treated wood, composite decking, and marine-grade stainless steel for railings. RCC guard rails will be installed along the pathway for added durability.
A footpath will connect the entrance to the ramp, ensuring accessibility from the main road. The ramp will have a gradual slope with continuous railings on both sides, the civic body said in a document.
The Corporation stated that traffic kerbs will be provided to separate pedestrian areas and prevent vehicular movement on the pathway.
On Tuesday (February 11, 2025), Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin launched a pathway for persons with disabilities at Besant Nagar beach near Karl Schmidt memorial. That was the second such pathway to come up in the city.
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‘Finalise ocean deck solution’
Vaishnavi Jayakumar of the Disability Rights Alliance, however, said the ocean deck solution (the design for the ramp) must be finalised before floating the tender for the project at Thiruvanmiyur Beach. She added that stakeholders must agree on the location of the ramp and approve the design drawings before the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance is sought and budget is finalised for the work.
Earlier in January, the group had flagged the absence of a modular sea-facing deck and issues with access ramps at Marina and Elliots Beaches, including proper slope, railings, tactile paving, accessible parking, signage, kerb ramps, and smart poles with CCTV, and tidal flags. It stated that beach marshals for the Marina Beach ramp have not been deployed yet.
Ward 180 councillor K. Visalakshi said that if the requirements raised by persons with disabilities are sent to her, she would speak to the assistant engineer concerned for implementation. “This is a project for their benefit and their views must be noted,” she added.
Published - February 12, 2025 02:25 pm IST
