CHENNAI: The famed
Island Grounds is set to come alive next month, with the Union minority affairs ministry’s ‘Hunar Haat’ likely to be the first big event to be hosted there.
The 29-acre property in the vicinity of the Marina had been largely inactive for nearly a year since the outbreak of
Covid-19 in March 2020 and missed the annual India Tourist and Industrial Trade Fair. Now, with things limping back to normal, the
tourism department plans to cash in on the popularity of the ground that used to host open air exhibitions in the past.
‘Hunar Haat,’ an initiative to provide a platform for artisans and craftsmen to showcase their expertise, is scheduled to be held during the second half of February, a state tourism department official said.
Except for the mandatory annual firecrackers fair conducted on the eve of
Diwali in November, Island Grounds had largely remained unoccupied through 2020. Now, tourism department sources said, steps are being explored to generate revenue from the spacious plot by allowing mega events. “However, events can be organised only by following all the prescribed Covid-19 norms,” the official said, adding that permission for conducting events after the model code of conduct for the state assembly election comes into effect will be based on directions of the
Election Commission.
There is a precedence of the facility being used to organise events depending on the season to attract tourists. In September 2019, for instance, the
state government had conducted ‘Madrasapattinam Virundhu’, a three-day food festival offering a range of cuisines from the hinterland of the state.
N Ravi, a former official with the
Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, said that Island Grounds was an asset for hosting tourism events and could help in a big way particularly in the present situation. “About 20,000 people can assemble here at any given time by adhering to Covid-19 protocols including maintaining social distancing,” he said.