Estonian Combing Machines Set To Rejig Chennai Beach Cleaning

Chennai: Chennai’s 13-kilometre-long urban coastline, stretching from Ennore in the north to Uthandi in the south, is set to undergo a major transformation with the deployment of 22 mechanised beach-combing machines imported from Estonia. The machines were purchased under the 'Namakku Naame' scheme to clean popular spots like Marina, Besant Nagar, Kottivakkam, Palavakkam, and other beaches under the Greater Chennai Corporation's limits.

The machines feature a hopper with a capacity of over 2 cubic metres and a minimum cleaning width of 7 feet. They are capable of cleaning approximately six acres of sand per hour, operating at speeds up to 15 km/h. The process involves the machine running across the beach like a sieve, retaining garbage in the hopper while allowing finer sand to fall back through the perforations. The collected waste can be hydraulically dumped into a truck or container up to 9 feet high. The accompanying tractors are four-wheel-drive models equipped with GPS and fuel monitoring systems, said GCC officials.

According to GCC Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran, the beach combing vehicles have reached Chennai. It has better efficiency in waste collection and will be deployed this weekend, he said.

The move is part of an initiative to transform Chennai's beaches into eco-friendly spaces and potentially work towards 'Blue Flag Certification' for certain areas. It is also an attempt to address the chronic beach pollution while balancing environmental protection and public use.

The Estonian beach-combing machines, designed specifically for eco-sensitive coastal cleaning, are capable of sieving sand to remove litter while allowing natural sediment to remain largely undisturbed. Unlike conventional heavy machinery, these units are engineered to minimise damage to dune systems and microfauna.

According to officials, each machine can clean several kilometres of beach per day, removing waste buried up to a few inches beneath the surface. Manual workers often miss these wastes. This is particularly crucial in Chennai, where plastic fragments are frequently mixed with wet sand and seaweed.

The machines are expected to operate during early morning and late evening hours to avoid peak public usage and reduce disturbance to beachgoers and wildlife.

The decision to cover the entire Ennore–Uthandi stretch reflects a shift from piecemeal cleaning to corridor-based coastal management. Northern beaches like Ennore face industrial pollution and coal residue, while central beaches struggle with urban crowds especially during weekends . Southern stretches are affected by resort activity and unchecked dumping.

“Beach cleaning in Chennai has long depended on manual labourers who work barefoot under harsh sun. The sanitary workers were often exposed to broken glass, medical waste, and hazardous debris washed ashore. Mechanisation will significantly reduce direct human contact with dangerous materials, improving occupational safety. It will also allow workers to focus on segregation and monitoring rather than scavenging’, said S.K Sivaramakrishnan, a beachgoer.