Nature lovers in the city came together for a night walk at the Sagar Nagar Beach recently. However, what promised to be an opportunity to take a closer look at Nature turned out to be an eye-opener about the alarming invasion of plastic on the beaches of Visakhapatnam.
Organised by Treksome, the walk saw participation by an enthusiastic group of 30 people. The group gathered at the tent pitched near the parking lot on the beach from where the walk began.
The joy of walking under the bright moonlight was clouded by dark skies. But the moon’s presence could be felt by the notoriously loud waves. For a brief moment when the red moon peeped through the clouds, there was loud cheer among the walkers.
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Just a few metres into the walk, people started clicking pictures. Each time the camera flashed, the stretch of plastic along the coast was illuminated. Ironically, plastic was a constant companion on this Nature trail. Adding to the misery was the lack of breeze and high humidity. The people walked nervously in the darkness avoiding the waves on one side and the plastics on another.
After the 30-minute walk, the group reached its destination — the southernmost point of the beach right under the nose of street food joints on the Beach Road. One could now understand the source of trash!
Here, people took turns to introduce themselves over refreshments. Eight-year-old, Gautham, gaily exclaimed, “This feels like a family trip!”
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Pausing the chats and photo sessions, Samved Vegi, co-founder of Treksome, told the group, “The main reason behind the night walk is to be one with Nature. Let’s close our eyes for 10 minutes and listen to the sounds around us.” And just like that, only the sound of waves and stridulating crickets remained. After a while, people began to retreat.
On the way back, people discussed the sordid state of the Sagar Nagar Beach. Balakrishnan Rai, a participant said, “The organisers should have done a better research before selecting this location. But as a result, now we know even beaches away from the city are getting terribly polluted.”
Putting thought to action, Treksome has organised a cleaning drive at the Sagar Nagar Beach on August 12 from 8 am to 10 am. “Only RK Beach benefits from the cleaning initiatives while other beaches are neglected. This beach needs immediate attention,” said Vegi.
To volunteer for the cleaning drive, 9699611444.