On the drive to Mamallapurm down East Coast Road, Nature often shifts gears, going into an overdrive of sequestered, untouched beauty. Truth be told, ‘untouched’ is unabashed hyperbole. Shorn of the trappings of entertainment, these coastal spaces may be less-trodden. The fact that they are relatively pristine ironically loads the dice against them, making them end up finally as not-so-pristine. They draw bivouackers: Those who spread out a sheet and a gastronomic fare on the sands, and move on, possibly leaving behind stuff not healthy for the planet, certainly not marine ecosystems.
On the stretch of ECR from Sholinganallur to Mamallapuram, a group ‘targets’ these bivouackers, seeking to minimise the damage.
Zoom in on this landscape on the seaward side of Therkupattu in Thiruvidanthai Panchayat. It seems to have been designed for bivouacking, as carelessly-flung food packaging material attests. Instilling hope, a steel garbage bin invites people to dump plastic waste in it.
It is an ally in “Waves of Changes” project, one executed by Hand In Hand India in collaboration with villages from Sholinganallur to Mamallapuram.
“These tourist places need greater attention. We are working in 11 fishing villages, where we are collecting plastic waste,” begins Kalpana Sankar, managing trustee, Hand In Hand India.
“We require the support of all stakeholders, and so, besides the regular PRIs (panchayat raj institutions), we would be working with the leaders in the fishing hamlets. There was no proper disposal mechanism for plastic waste, and we have entered into partnerships with cement factories. As this is an ingredient in the making of cement, it is a win-win situation for both.”
Hand In Hand India has etched in plans to have the Chess Olympiad at Mamallapuram work for its campaign.
“We would use the event to create awareness about plastic waste and what it can do to marine ecosystems, and we are planning to put up stalls. There would be many awareness programmes — wall paintings and street plays among them — on plastic waste per se.”
Expectations from this initiative would likely be modest. Bending people’s unhealthy attitude towards plastic, actually indifference to how it can affect them and other creatures, is a protracted battle.
Kalpana is only too familiar with how protracted it can be, and how it requires continual engagement with a wide spectrum of stakeholders.
“A special committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the Chengalpet district collector; and the government is extending all support to our initiatives. Our work is to collect plastic waste from people and impress upon them the need to go in for alternative solutions (the simplest form of it being the use of a cloth bag instead of a plastic bag). We want to give them small token gifts (say, an eco-friendly alternative to plastic spoon) and let them know it is possible to live without plastics. We also want to target all the schools in the areas, and make children our brand ambassadors, whether it is usage of toilets or reduction of plastic. They would carry the message home to their parents.”
