Chennai, September 18 (IANS) Chennai is ready for one of its biggest environmental campaigns as thousands of volunteers expect to participate in international coastal cleaning later this week.
The drive, held every year on the third Saturday of September, aims to get rid of the city’s accumulated garbage beaches and spread awareness about marine pollution.
Last year, the event saw a record turnout of around 24,000 volunteers, who collected more than 200 tonnes of garbage in just two hours.
The waste involving both plastic and organic cases was later sent for recycling.
Encouraged by the scale of participation, the organizers expect a major gathering this year.
Hafiz Khan of the Communitary, who coordinates the Chennai chapter of the initiative, said that clean-up would cover the beach from Kasimedu to Kovalam.
He said, “Marina is the second longest urban beach in the world, and this drive has now become the largest of its kind in this part of the world.”
The activity will be from 6 am to 9 am, and is open to all. Volunteers have been asked to bring gloves and garbage bags.
The campaign has been running in Chennai for 17 years, drawing participation from school and college students, local residents, NGOs, Walking Clubs, Corporate Groups, NSS and NCC units.
The organizers say that the participation of such a comprehensive cross-section of the society shows both the scale of the problem and the desire to work for citizens.
Generally, garbage collected during the drive ranges from plastic bottles, food wrappers and food coaches to organic relics to the beach.
With the increase of food distribution services spread to the coastline, packaging waste has increased.
The waste collected will be collected at the nominated roadside points, from where the recycling agencies will pick it up.
Hafiz said that this incident is not only about cleaning the beaches, but also about creating a movement.
He said, “Thousands of participants post updates on social media, which spreads awareness and expects a strong message to policy makers. This collective action is a wake-up call for those,” he said.
The program will end with a community discussion on the impact of garbage on marine life and a community discussion with the participants to keep their surroundings clean.
-Noen
Al/Red