Beaches cleaned as part of World Oceans Day celebrations
As part of World Oceans Day, various organisations and individuals came together to clean the city's beaches on Sunday. The Ocean Society of India in collaboration with the Department of Civil Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, organised a clean-up drive on the Kovalam beach, with the theme 'Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us'.
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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