With a majority of those participating in a public hearing on the project coming out in its favour, the Tamil Nadu government is now moving towards getting the necessary permission and no objection certificate (NOC) from various agencies to construct a Pen Memorial in memory of late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi in the Bay of Bengal off the Marina Beach.
Releasing minutes of the public hearing held on January 31, which turned into a slugfest between parties supporting and opposing the project, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) said as many as 22 out of the 34 people who spoke at the event supported the project, which is being opposed on the grounds that it will degrade the environment.
The minutes say 12 people representing environmental organisations and fishermen associations voiced their opposition to the project saying construction of memorials is permissible only in exceptional situations in the CRZ area and that this was not an exceptional situation.
The opponents also said the project is proposed to be constructed over an extent of 0.5 acre near the estuary of River Cooum and might affect the marine eco system.
“The project will be modelled similarly to the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue constructed in Mumbai by the Government of Maharashtra. Steps are being taken to get permission/ No objection certificate from Coastal Regulation Zone Management Authority, CMDA, GCC, Chennai Port Trust, Indian Coast Guard, and Indian Navy,” the minutes of the meeting read.
The project ‘Muthamizh Arignar Dr Kalaignar Pen’ memorial, being proposed to be built at a cost of over Rs 81 crore, is being opposed by environmentalists who say the monument could further affect the coastline and will impact the fish population since Marina Beach is an area that has a high accretion rate (accumulation of sand).
The TNPCB said three sites were identified and they were compared on the basis of marine ecology, socio-economic and biological factors and a decision was taken to construct the pen-shaped monument at a distance of about 360 metres from the seabed near the memorial that is being built for Karunanidhi.
“The proposed pen monument to be placed in Bay of Bengal, will be connected with the access road having 650 metrse in length and 9 metre in width from the existing Muthamizh Arignar Dr Kalaignar memorial. The proposed monument structure will be constructed at 6m height above HTL,” the pollution watchdog said.
Noting that turtle nesting areas are most predominant in the southern coastal area of Chennai, the TNPCB said Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be followed during the construction phase to preserve the ecology of the marine environment.
“Adequate steps will be taken to minimise the noise due to the operation of construction equipment. It was informed during the meeting that even after the completion of this Pen monument project, fishermen will not be restricted to engage fishing in this area,” the minutes of the meeting added.
On the safety aspect, the TNPCB said the monument is designed to withstand natural disasters such as storms, floods, high winds, earthquakes, etc., with appropriate scientific technology recommended by the experts from IIT-M.