Chennai: With cyclone Vardah and demonetisation effect eating into monthly budgets, Chennaiites had low-key Pongal celebrations this time around.
Marina, the pride of Chennai, saw crowds as residents were left with limited options this Kaanum Pongal.
Hit by cyclone, Arignar Anna Zoological Park at Vandalur remained closed even as public thronged the zoo to leave disappointed. Annual trade fair at Island Grounds and Circus at SIAA ground near Chennai Central were also missing during this Pongal leading to the crowds thronging Beasant Nagar and Marina beaches.
Policemen were seen deployed in large numbers and watchtowers were also erected on the shores of beaches and barricades were put at intersections to regulate crowd. Chennai Corporation also positioned additional staff to ensure sanitation and waste management.
Malls, cinema halls and temple also saw crowd till evening and additional state run buses were deployed to ferry extra rush of passengers at beach and commercial hubs in Chennai. To ease traffic flow and to regulate crowd arterial Kamaraj Salai had some minor traffic diversions and police were seen with loud speakers to prevent haphazard parking.
Barricades were also placed at the memorials of former chief ministers Annadurai, MGR and J Jayalalithaa on the shores of Marina. Youngsters took selfies near the memorial of AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa who passed away last month.
The Guindy National Park, Chennai Snake park, Kovalam, Crocodile bank and Mahapalliburam also saw crowd but the park managers maintained that the crowd this year was manageable and opined that there was dip in the footfall when compared to previous years. The toll at East Coast Road also witnessed traffic snarl with the cars piling up to half a kilometer.
“We usually visit Vandalur zoo but this year came to Guindy Park and it was heavily crowded,” said G. Giridharan, a state government employee. “Next, we are heading for a movie,” Joshua clinging to his father’s shoulder at Snake Park.
