Over 560 coastal sites in Kerala renovated as part of International Coastal Cleanup Day

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) (India), September 21 (ANI): Environmental activists and volunteers cleaned around 560 coastlines in Kerala on Saturday as part of the International Coastal Cleanup Day.

“Different agencies like ministries, departments, NGOs and various organisations are involved in the process of cleaning the coastline this year. The slogan is ‘Room for Life’,” state clean-up campaign chairman Dr V Subhash Chandra Bose told ANI.

“Across the world and in India also, in Kerala, around 560 coastlines have been cleaned by volunteers and environmental activists. Today, various types of cleaning activities have taken place. Plastic is a major hurdle for the coastal region,” he added.

At Shangumugom beach in Thiruvananthapuram, NCC cadets organised a clean-up drive. The cadets were seen picking up the garbage lying on the beach.

Meanwhile, Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Saturday participated in a beach cleaning drive at Juhu Beach to mark International Coastal Clean-up Day.

Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Sambhaji Shinde and Municipal Commissioner of Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation Bhushan Gagrani were also present on the occasion.

This global event is celebrated every year on the third Saturday of September. The campaign is organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the State Government of Maharashtra. The beach cleaning initiative will be held at over 100 beaches in coastal states and union territories of India.

In 2018, the Ministry of Environment launched a beach clean-up campaign with the ‘IamSavingMyBeach’ campaign on the occasion of World Environment Day, under the theme ‘Beat Plastic’. Since then, the ministry has been regularly organising beach clean-up activities with the support of state and local governments.

According to the Ministry of Environment, “International Coastal Cleanup Day (ICCD) is celebrated every year on the third Saturday of September. The day aims to inspire people to clean beaches, raise awareness about the importance of preserving and protecting the world’s oceans and waterways, and tackle the problem of marine litter.” International Coastal Cleanup Day is an international event and is celebrated every year on the third Saturday of September, as a pledge to bring cleanliness and greenery to nature and the environment as a whole.

The day was launched to raise awareness about the increasing pollution on various beaches around the world. (ANI)