Background:

The Marina Beach–Besant Nagar coastal region, situated along the Chennai shoreline, is predominantly inhabited by fishing communities and intersects with the Adyar River, which drains into the Bay of Bengal. A primary cause of marine pollution in this area is the ineffective management of solid waste. Contributing sources include local community waste, refuse left behind by visitors, and debris carried by floodwaters during the monsoon season.

Objectives:

The Programme will look to address the waste management of the fishing and migrant communities along the Srinivasapuram and Ward 126 beachside areas. The Programme will look to work consistently with the community to build awareness, nudge behaviour and improve practices of waste disposal and source segregation. The Programme will also look to build the capacities and efficiency of the SWM system in the region. The community residing around Pattinapakkam and Srinivasapuram consists of more than 10,000 families spread across seven communities. Among these families, approximately 30% are engaged in fishing activities, either as fishermen or fisherwomen. The area is shaped by its bustling fish market and a large population involved in fishing activities. Large parts of the government resettlement community housing structures in the region are operated by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board. The Programme will cover the Srinivasapuram and Ward 126 beachside areas of Marina Beach.