Over 200 take up coastal clean-up

Nearly 63 bags of trash collected

U.S. Consul General Robert Burgess gathering trash as part of the coastal clean-up drive near Ashtalakshmi temple in Besant Nagar.

The International Coastal Clean-up Day 2018, which saw the participation of around 200 volunteers, was held on the Ashtalakshmi temple beach in Besant Nagar on Sunday.

Organised by the Indian Maritime Foundation, the Environmentalist Foundation of India and the U.S. Consulate, Chennai, the clean-up was flagged off by MLA R. Nataraj.

“As the Indian partner for Ocean Conservancy, the global organisation which is working towards trash-free seas, we are flagging off the coastal clean-ups in Chennai ahead of similar efforts which will be held across the four southern States as well as Port Blair and Goa,” said Capt. S. Krishnamurthi, vice-president of the Indian Maritime Foundation.

Mounting concerns

The IMF has been consistently contributing to the world’s largest database on marine debris by Ocean Conservancy and the subsequent ocean trash index has been a source of information for policy makers as well as the general public to be aware of the mounting concerns regarding the same.

“At the end of the clean-up today, we had collected nearly 63 bags of trash each weighing an average of 20 kg. We will be putting up the final figures online as well,” Capt. Krishnamurthi said.

Robert Burgess, U.S. Consul General and Jenna Jambeck, Associate Professor, University of Georgia, were present during the coastal clean up.

Students from Chettinad Hari Shree Vidyalayam, Sankara Schools and the Hindustan Institute of Maritime Training were among those who participated.

To mark the Coastal Clean-up Day on September 15, volunteers from various organisations under the IMF will participate in Ocean Conservancy’s 33rd International Coastal Clean-up across the country.