damage to TN beach resorts

bijapuri

from The Hindu, 29Dec. . . .

Beach resorts take a beating in the peak season

By T.S. Shankar



CHENNAI, DEC. 28. It was declared the "entertainment-cum-amusement corridor of Chennai." But weekend revellers cannot usher in the New Year on East Coast Road (ECR), which has many beach resort hotels. The entertainment-cum-amusement complex wears a deserted look, with most of the businesses have downed their shutters, following Sunday's tsunami attack.

There are more than eight beach resort hotels, a boat yard at Muttukadu and Mudaliarkuppam, and amusement complexes on New Mamallapuram Road on the entire stretch on the coastline, especially from the Neelankarai fishing hamlet up to the World heritage tourist town. A pall of gloom has descended, as images of the tsunami waves still linger in the minds of the locals.

"It is unfortunate that tsunami hit the tourist centre in the peak season, that too, when the annual dance festival just began. There is no revelry as the entire Mamallapuram looks like a town under curfew," says a tourist bus operator.

Officials of the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC), responsible for laying a smooth road, have supplied food and clothing in the nearby fishing hamlets. They are confident that with the assistance of the Government and help of the local community, the tourism industry will bounce back as it has been a "resilient industry."

The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation's (TTDC) beach resort complex has been devastated. Waves which rose up to seven feet submerged the ground floors of nearly 50 cottages. While one of the cottages (No.48) has disappeared and another has suffered extensive damage, the road leading to the beach resort resembles a "deep canal."

The foundation of the resort building is visible and all furniture, refrigerators and television sets on the ground floor of the cottages have borne the brunt of the killer wave.

Pat for TTDC staff


When contacted, the TTDC Managing Director, Shaktikanta Das, who confirmed the largescale devastation of the corporation's property, praised the unit's manager, S. Venkatesan, and staff for displaying "exemplary courage," risking their lives to rescue more than 90 occupants. Among them were two Collectors of Cuddalore and Tiruvallur, a senior bureaucrat and their families who were removed to safe places.

"We are already on the job of massive reconstruction of the TTDC beach resort property which has been shut down."

The Muttukadu boat jetty has also been completely damaged. Over 14 boats have been lost. The loss to the beach resort and the two boat jetties has been put at about Rs. 4 crores.

The lot of private managements is equally bad. At the GRT Mamallapuram Temple Bay resort, 40 chalets and three villas have been "totally damaged." The wharf and the beachfront restaurant have also been destroyed.

According to hotel sources, the management has decided to close down the resort till December 31 to assess the damage.

The damage to cottages is also visible in The Ideal Beach Resort, the Sterling property, the MGM Dizee World, Taj Fishermen's Cove, and a string of other property.

Besides the destruction at Mamallapuram, the Poompuhar tourist complex in Nagapattinam has suffered extensive damage.

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