Beaches cleaned as part of World Oceans Day celebrations
Equipped with gloves and reusable bags, participants removed around 250 kg of plastic waste, discarded fishing gear, glass bottles, and other types of litter from the beach, which will be sent for scientific analysis as part of ongoing research into marine litter and microplastics.
Pravakar Mishra, former Scientist-G at National Centre for Coastal Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Puzhgalenthi, inspector of the Coastal Security Group, Tamil Nadu Police, and Shobana Thangam, president of the Kovalam Panchayat, and R. Nagalakshmi, Program Coordinator and Associate Professor were among those present, a press release said.
Around 30 volunteers of Greenpeace India came together at Elliot's Beach at Besant Nagar and removed 100 kg of waste. An artwork depicting an Olive Ridley turtle was displayed to highlight the critical role oceans play in sustaining biodiversity, regulating the climate, and supporting coastal communities. 'From the sands of Besant Nagar to the shores of Kerala, the ocean connects us all. Today's clean-up drive in Chennai was not just about collecting waste — it was a moment of collective care, led by local volunteers who know the ocean is their lifeline,' said Yasin Fahmidha, campaigner at Greenpeace India, in a press release.
Another release said staff of ibis Chennai SIPCOT and ibis Chennai City Centre and volunteers took part in a beach clean-up drive in collaboration with the Environmentalist Foundation of India. 'Chennai's coast is a vital part of the city's identity, economy, and ecology. Through this initiative, we aimed to not only clean the beaches but also ignite conversations around sustainability and community involvement,' said Tejus Jose, director of operations, ibis and ibis Styles India.
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The Hindu
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- The Hindu
Greenpeace, civil society groups demand urgent action for making MSC pay for environment damage, livelihood loss
Greenpeace India along with civil society groups representing coastal and fishing communities on Monday (July 28, 2025) demanded urgent action to make the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) pay for the environmental damage and livelihood loss caused by the sinking of its Liberian-flagged vessel, the MSC Elsa 3, off the Kerala coast in May. A White Paper released here outlined the potential ecological and socio-economic impacts of the shipwreck that occurred 14.6 nautical miles off the coast of Kochi on May 25 and its far-reaching consequences, which has since, the organisations said, spiralled into a 'multi-dimensional environmental and human crisis.' The White Paper, covering the period from May 25 to June 25, sought to highlight the different dimensions of the damage including widespread nurdle (plastic pellet) contamination along the coasts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. 'This is not just an accident. This is corporate negligence,' the document said. It demanded full transparency on the cargo manifest of the sunken ship and called on MSC to support rapid clean-up response and an independent impact assessment. It also wanted the company to engage in a 'comprehensive, up-to-scale compensation plan for the loss of livelihoods and biodiversity resulting from the shipwreck.' The document noted that oil spill, hydrocarbon contamination and hazardous chemical leaks pose immediate and significant threats to marine life, food chains and fisheries. The microplastic pollution caused by the spillage of nurdles (plastic pellets) poses another significant threat, the document said. Large amounts of microplastic pellets (nurdles) less than 5 mm in size have washed ashore along the Kerala coast and drifted to ecologically sensitive areas like the Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve and roughly 80 km to 600 km along the coastline of Sri Lanka, it said. The White Paper observed that incidents such as the MSC Elsa 3 shipwreck pose significant long-term environmental consequences and present formidable recovery challenges. Damaged ecosystems, such as coral reefs, mangrove forests and seagrass beds take a very long time to recover, if at all, it said. Nurdles and other plastic debris are non-biodegradable and can persist in the environment for hundreds of years. Economic hardships 'The long-term impact on the fishing and tourism industries can be devastating, leading to prolonged economic hardship for coastal communities. Legal battles for compensation, as seen with the X-Press Pearl disaster (off Sri Lanka in 2021), can be lengthy and complex, often resulting in insufficient redress for the affected parties,' the document noted. Further, the document underscored the 'critical need' for more stringent regulations, better enforcement, improved monitoring, and enhanced international cooperation and training for emergency responders. ' These incidents expose shortcomings in national and international regulations and emergency response protocols, it said. Vicar General of Latin Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram Eugene Pereira, Greenpeace India programme director Divya Raghunandan, Kerala Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation president Jackson Pollayil, Coastal Students Cultural Forum president Rethin Antony and Mercy Alexander of Coastal Watch were present.
The Hindu
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- The Hindu
MSC Elsa 3 shipwreck: Greenpeace India, civil society groups seek action to make shipping firm pay relief for environmental damage, livelihood loss
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Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Indian Express
Amid Delhi summer, new study shows public parks are failing to offer relief
A recent audit of 50 public parks across Delhi has revealed alarming disparities in how the city's green spaces function during periods of extreme heat. While thermal images showed that shaded areas in parks were up to 20 degrees Celsius cooler than those in the open, the survey also documented shortcomings in accessibility, infrastructure, and biodiversity support — raising questions about the Capital's preparedness in dealing with intensifying climate conditions. The study, launched on Saturday by Greenpeace India in collaboration with COHAS and Youth for Climate Justice South Asia, recorded a peak surface temperature of 53.3 degrees Celsius in exposed concrete areas in parks. In contrast, tree-covered areas in the same parks measured a highest surface temperature of around 35 degrees Celsius. On average, the temperature difference between these shaded and unshaded zones was found to be 10 degrees Celsius. The study was carried out in the midst of Delhi's 2025 summer, one of the city's hottest in recorded history. The audit evaluated parks not only on the basis of temperature but also on the availability of basic amenities and ecological infrastructure. It found that a majority of the parks were not equipped to serve as reliable zones where people can come to beat the heat. More than three-quarters of the surveyed parks lacked drinking water points for the public. Also, none had officially installed shelters for urban birdlife. While 73% of the parks featured water bowls for animals and birds, nearly all had been set up by residents or informal caretakers rather than municipal authorities. Only 28% of the parks had any form of water body, and several of these were found to be either drying up or poorly maintained. Access restrictions were another concern – 74% of the parks were closed during some part of the day, and 64% were shut at night, even in densely populated and heat-prone areas. 'In many low-income neighbourhoods, the heat lingers late into the night, yet most parks are locked then. It made us realise that parks aren't luxuries, they are life-saving infrastructure,' said Priyanka, a member of the audit team from COHAS. While Delhi is recorded as having 25% green cover according to a 2023 State of Forest report, this audit found that the majority of functional parks – those with tree canopy, soil-based ground, and walkable space – are concentrated in South, South East, New Delhi, East, and West Delhi districts. The report also draws attention to the increasing concretisation of public green spaces. In many parks, tree roots were found encased in cement, and previously permeable soil surfaces had been replaced with tiled or paved walkways. These changes not only reduce the land's natural cooling ability but also threaten the health of the trees themselves, the report claimed. 'We had a closed group discussion for the launch, inviting people who work with forests, parks, and heatwave research. Many of them are involved in park restoration, composting, and using their local parks for social and cultural activities. We discussed what can be done. Largely, our solution is to make civic audits like this one, and reimagine the park as an accessible place for social functions,' said Aakiz Farooq, climate and energy campaigner at Greenpeace India, who led the audit. 'We plan to submit copies of the report to the Delhi government, the DDA, and the NDMC,' he said. Farooq pointed to 'remaining' forested zones – including those in Dwarka, the Aravalli range, and Sanjay Van – which continue to face pressure from infrastructure development and urban expansion. The 'Delhi Rising' campaign, under which this audit was conducted, has recommended a series of policy measures. These included ensuring 24/7 access to at least one green space within every residential zone, installing public drinking water facilities and shaded seating in all major parks, and banning further concretisation around trees. The report also called for legally protecting urban forest patches and introducing biodiversity-friendly infrastructure, such as birdhouses, native tree species, and functional water bodies. As heatwaves become more frequent and more intense, the question of who gets to access relief — and who is left behind — has become a critical focus for policymakers. 'Parks were selected using purposive sampling methodology covering historical, biodiversity, and locality parks while also ensuring geographical diversity (covering parks in each zone). Using closed-ended survey methodology, an audit team of 4-5 people surveyed the selected parks… 40 parks were assessed to understand the variance in surface temperatures,' the audit stated. There are more than 18,000 parks and gardens in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The website of the Delhi Parks and Society, accessed by The Indian Express on July 12, stated, 'At present, these areas are managed by various agencies like MCD, DDA, NDMC, PWD, CPWD, etc. A few of them are very well managed, while many are not in good shape. Some resident associations are very active in managing these parks, while many others are less active, resulting in their poor management.'
