Besant Nagar Beach in Chennai has turned into a chaotic place with 610 illegal hawkers occupying the sands and running eateries and entertainment stalls. The beach is polluted with plastic waste and the upgrades made under the Swadesh Darshan scheme have gone to waste. The beach generates a large amount of waste, including plastic, which poses a threat to the coastal ecosystem. The situation has forced visitors to move to quieter beaches like Thiruvanmiyur.