Chennai/ Puducherry: Marina and Puducherry beaches are now crowded during evenings, thanks to the peak summer, power cuts and school holidays. Similarly, local parks and playgrounds are visited by a large number
of people till late evening.
With power cuts on the rise, Chennaiites too have been flocking to beaches. Ramani Devi of Tiruvanmiyur said there has been a healthy number of people frequenting the beaches of late. “More people are staying longer hours at the Valmiki Nagar beach here during evenings.”
At Marina, visitor numbers have been consistently high. Vendors also reported brisk sales. At the swimming pool nearby, administrators confirmed that ticket sales have surged this April. With mercury expected to rise, the swimming pool is likely to see more number of visitors in May, they said.
Similarly, in Puducherry, the crowd in the beach has increased tremendously after summer set in. “It is a festival like experience in the evenings” says Ananmika, an IT professional of Bengaluru.
‘Selfie with Common Man’, an initiative by election department to promote ethical voting is the new ‘trend’ in the beach. Children, youngsters are busy in taking selfies with the famous ‘Common Man’ caricature of R.K Narayan in which is written ‘My Vote is not for sale’
R. Munnisamy, director of Puducherry Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), said an average of 2.5 lakh tourists visit Puducherry during April and May. This time, the number is quite high which may reach 3.5 lakhs.
“Park timing has been increased to 8 pm as it is summer vacation. We are planning a lot of beautification work inside the park and will finish it in three months,” said, R. Chandrasekhar, commissioner, Puducherry municipality.
