Protest against proposed elevated expressways

Chennai, Feb 20 (PTI): About 200 persons from variouscountries today staged a day-long hunger strike against theproposed elevated expressways in Chennai which would runthrough beaches.

They were protesting against the proposed Beach Expressway,the Port-Maduravoyal Expressway and the High Speed Corridorover Adyar river, as all of these would pass through beaches,a press release from ''Reclaim Our Beaches and Save ChennaiBeaches'', the organisations behind the initiative, said.

''The highways will displace more than 10,000 fisherfolk,pave over nesting grounds of the endangered Olive Ridley seaturtle, and ruin Chennai''s most treasured public space,'' itsaid, adding the protest was held at Besant Nagar beach here.