Stalls leave little room for walkers at Elliot’s beach

“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.