Trichy:

If Chennaiites have a Marina beach to chill out, people of Trichy have the banks of the Cauvery at Ammamandapam in Srirangam. For the first time in the history of the Fort city, a km length of the stretch on the banks of the Cauvery between what is known as Karudamandapam Padithurai (stone steps) and the famous Cauvery bridge (linking Srirangam island to mainland Trichy) has been converted into a ‘beach’ for the convenience of the public and tourists.

“I had not the faintest idea that the concept would click into a huge hit with the people,” corporation commissioner K R Selvaraj told TOI. Just as the summer holidays are beginning, the tourist attraction was thrown open to the public on Sunday evening by minister N R Sivapathy.

Selvaraj recalled that Sivapathy had told him about converting the dry Cauvery in the upstream of Cauvery bridge up to Karudamandpam Padithurai into a tourist attraction. However, the corporation did not pay much heed to the idea as it was right in the middle of the stream. That the Cauvery had become completely dry made the officials rethink the matter. Meanwhile, the minister asked the Commissioner again as to what arrangements had been made on Friday last. “It was at this point that I realized that Sivapathy was very determined about it,” Selvaraj said. Furthermore, the Minister visited the site twice on Saturday, and on Sunday evening, he officially threw the ‘beach’ open to the public, much to the jubilation of children and womenfolk.

“We were indeed moved by the sight of the people, both youngsters and the elderly, standing right on the platform of the Cauvery bridge in the late evenings to chill out. They were risking their lives sometimes in the poor visibility, and had to be given some alternative site for recreation,” Trichy (East) MLA R Manoharan, in whose jurisdiction the beach falls, told TOI. In fact, the traffic department had taken strong exception to a large number of people flooding the bridge after dusk, and the scenario increased the likelihood of road accidents on the bridge. “Unless we give them some alternative, it will not be proper to chase them away from the bridge,” said Manoharan. And, the idea was hurriedly given a final shape on Sunday without any official invitation. “Let the people recreate at least for a month, now that the board examination is over today,” Manoharan added.

Selvaraj, however, said the beach phenomenon would not last beyond the first week of June, when water would be released from the Mettur dam.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Madurai / by Dennis Selvan / TNN, April 24th, 2012