Authorities in Puducherry have installed a fish-shaped trash bin on the beachfront here, as part of an initiative to raise awareness about the damage caused by micro plastics to marine life and also to keep the beaches clean.
Sponsored by Godrej, a multi-national conglomerate as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, the fish-shaped trash bin has been installed near the Le Cafe restaurant on the Beach Promenade by Keep Namma Pondy Clean, a project of ReCity Network in association with the Local Administration Department, Puducherry Municipality and Swachatha Corporation.
According to K.S. Gowthamguhan, officer - Community and Tech Implementation of Keep Namma Pondy Clean, “The fish sculpture is made of iron and is approximately 14 feet in length and 7 feet in height. Marine pollution is one of the fastest growing environmental concerns and the installation is part of efforts to develop clean and healthy oceans and to also reduce the amount of plastic waste that is ending up in the sea.”
The installation functions as a large trash can, encouraging visitors to throw plastics and other non-biodegradable waste into it. The plastic waste collected in the fish sculpture will be taken to the Sanitation Park at Dubrayapet where the waste is segregated and recycled. About 4 tonnes of low-value plastic waste is handled at the Sanitation Park daily, Mr. Guhan said.
