Residents said street vendors encroach on the designated sit-out spaces along the Besant Nagar beach, leaving little room for passers-by to occupy the seating area.
| Photo Credit: J. Johan Sathyadas
“Decades ago, Bessy was Chennai’s cleanest beach but it is no longer the same,” says Subramaniam K.A., a resident of Besant Nagar who has been living there for 43 years.
On a Sunday evening, the beachfront along Elliot’s beach is flooded with stalls facing the road, which leaves little room for passers-by to occupy the seating area.
“Since the shops are facing the road, we are not able to sit on the long stretch of seating area. They tell us to move because apparently we are spoiling their business by sitting close to their shops. So, we have to occupy only the opposite seating area, which is also occupied by makeshift stalls, with food and accessory vendors swarming on weekends,” says Mr. Subramaniam. Commenting on the varieties of items sold at the stalls, he says that there are at least 20 of them selling the same thing.
Some walkers also repeatedly commented that the beach becomes too dirty on weekends. Senior citizen Kanthi S., resident of Besant Nagar, says there is also dog menace. “With that, vendors and public that visit the beach also throw away wrappers and eatables. Mainly, we are not able to come to the beach for a breath of fresh air. It is fully encroached by shops and we are unable to walk in the pathway either,” adds Ms. Kanthi.
Another resident of Besant Nagar who did not wanted to be named, said there should be regular eviction drives against stalls that are functioning without licenses and food safety clearances.
“Some pedestrians have mentioned that there is little respite for walkers. We will look into this seriously and take action on the encroachments,” said R. Durai Raj, Ward Committee Chairman of Zone 13.
Published – September 23, 2026 09:22 pm IST
