Madras High Court To Inspect Marina Beach, Verify Location Of Vendor Shops & Facilities To Be Provided Under Blue Flag Area Scheme

Justice R Suresh Kumar and Justice AD Jagadish Chandira have decided to visit the beach on 22^nd December. The court directed the stakeholders, including representatives from the State Government, Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation and his subordinates, Police Commissioner of Chennai or his subordinates and any other stakeholders of government agencies to be present for the inspection and give full assistance to the court.

"...we are of the view that, in order to have a complete clarity as to the exact location where the shops are going to be provided in a row along with the service-road and how much of land in the beach area is going to to be spared for the people to enjoy the beach and also the facilities to be provided as part of the Blue-Flag Area Scheme, being undertaken now by the Greater Chennai Corporation, are all to be verified. Then only, further course of action in this mater could be decided and suitable orders could be passed," the court said

The court also asked the Revenue Authorities, headed by the District Collector, Chennai and his subordinates/officials to be present for inspection along with the Revenue Records, detailing the entire sketch of Marina Beach.

Background

The court was hearing a petition filed by Devi seeking directions to the authorities to consider her representation requesting to issue a shop and relocate it to the Marina Beach.

When the case came up before the court, it noted that the street vending business in Marina had to be regulated as it had been continuously engaging the law courts by litigation after litigation. The court noted that in 2020, a bench had issued a series of directions on regulating street vending at Marina Beach. The court, however, noted that the issue could not be pursued effectively due to COVID-19.

The court noted that no concrete scheme was in place for regulating street vending in Marina due to which shops were placed haphazardly causing heavy inconvenience to the people who throng the beach in large numbers.

Thus, in order to give quietus to the issue, the court issued directions. The court directed the Chennai Corporation represented by the Commissioner to look into how street vending was being administered in the Chennai Corporation and what system was being adopted. The court also asked the Commissioner if the Corporation had any scheme to streamline the street vending business.

The court also directed the state government, represented by the Principal Secretary to the Government, Environment, Climate Change & Forest Department, and Secretariat to have a consultation meeting with the officials of the department, along with the Commissioner of Corporation and the Police Department to prepare a preliminary report as to how the perennial problem of street vending at Marina could be sorted out and file the report before the court.

As per the court order, two meetings were conducted and reports were placed before the court along with a rough sketch on the proposed location of shops and the ongoing work of creation of a blue flag area.

After perusing the reports, the court decided to conduct an inspection of the area to get clarity as to the exact location where the shops are going to be provided in a row along with the service-road and how much of land in the beach area is going to to be spared for the people to enjoy the beach.

Counsel for Petitioner: Mr. S. Elankumaran

Counsel for Respondents: Mr. M. Suresh Kumar Additional Advocate General assisted by Dr. T. Seenivasan Special Government Pleader, Mr. P. S. Raman Advocate General assisted by Mr. D. B. R. Prabhu Standing Counsel, Mr. A. Gokulakrishnan Addtitional Public Prosecutor, Mr. M. Madhuprakash

Case Title: S Devi v. The Principal Secretary to Government

Case No: W.P.No.36085 of 2025

Click Here To Read/Download The Order