Gandhi statue on Marina beach relocated for Metro work

CHENNAI: As part of the phase 2 of the Metro rail project going on, one of the city's famous landmarks, the Gandhi Statue in Marina Beach, has been moved and temporarily placed 20 meters away from the original spot as Chennai Metrorail Limited (CMRL) will construct an underground station near the Light House.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, the decision has been taken to avoid causing damage to the statue, which is more than 60 years old. "The statue will be safely removed and relocated. Once the construction of the underground Metro station is completed, the statue will be shifted again to Marina Beach," sources added.

A giant crane used for Metro rail tunnels is used for this purpose. Officials of the Metro Rail and Public Works Department said that the work would be completed in a couple of days.

The bronze statue on a 12-feet pedestal, which was sculpted by Debi Prasad Roy Chowdhry and unveiled by then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in the presence of then chief minister K Kamaraj, was installed at the beach in 1959. Since then, restoration and painting works have been taken up periodically.

Meanwhile, the work on the elevated track of the 4th route from Light House to Poonamalle Bypass has been progressing well.

Similarly, the tunnelling machine from Lighthouse to Mylapore will commence in June. For this, underground cables and pipes are being removed.