Metro Phase 2 work: Gandhi statue to be moved from Marina temporarily

CHENNAI: One of the city's famous landmarks - the Gandhi Statue in Marina Beach - will be moved out from the beach and placed temporarily at Ripon Buildings as Chennai Metrorail Limited (CMRL) has decided to construct an underground station near the Light House.

According to a Chennai Corporation official, the decision has been taken to avoid damages to the statue, which is more than 60 years old. "The statue will be safely removed and relocated at the entrance of Ripon Building. Once the construction of the underground Metro station is completed, the statue will be shifted again to Marina Beach," the official added.

It may be noted that the CMRL has decided to construct Metro lines between Light House and Poonamallee under Phase 2 of the project. The station will be a shallow underground station to avoid damage to the marine ecosystem.

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 but never shifted from the spot, which is in the vicinity of the Light House.