In an apparent effort to ensure that the Marina Beach in Chennai doesn’t play ‘host’ yet again to protesters similar to last year’s Jallikkattu protests, the local authorities have clamped an unofficial ‘curfew’ along the coast of Marina Beach in the city.

People of the State in general and the farmers in particular are deeply disappointed and upset about the Centre’s negligence in setting up a Cauvery Management Board (CMB) in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives to ensure that Cauvery water is shared in a fair manner between Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry. The deadline for setting up the CMB expired last Thursday (29th March).

Even as the Govt. of Tamil Nadu is contemplating its next move on the issue, youths in Chennai congregated at the Marina on Saturday to protest against the Centre on the Cauvery issue and against the State Govt. for its continuing patronage of the Sterlite Industries in Tuticorin District. The youths were promptly arrested and were released later after strict warning not to congregate on the Marina for the time being.

The local authorities are apparently wary of last year’s historical ‘Jallikkattu’ protests which witnessed lakhs of youths (of both sexes) spending days together at the Marina (patronized by local vendors, merchants and many hotels which arranged for free food for them) for getting the nod from the Centre on holding ‘Jallikkattu’. An unofficial curfew is in force at Marina in order to ensure that the scenario doesn’t repeat again.

Entire stretch of Marina from Ennore to Pattinapakkam has been brought under the control of Chennai Police personnel; even morning walkers and evening strollers have been restrained.