Keeping Our Beaches Swachh! Indian Coast Guard organizes ‘International Coastal Cleanup’

Keeping Our Beaches Swachh! Indian Coast Guard organizes ‘International Coastal Cleanup’

Mangaluru: We all love beaches, right? They have so much to offer – relaxing time with beautiful views, sports, swimming and more. To not have clean beaches, we believe, is a threat to our freedom. Here in Coastal City-Mangaluru, and Dakshina Kannada and nearby places we have beautiful beaches, but people using these beaches not using their common sense deliberately throw garbage and make it a mess. Apart from trash littered by beach goers, there is other lot of litter, such as fish boxes, ropes and oil cans, floating onto the shore. Combine that with the litter left by beach visitors, and the ocean trash conditions can become quite overwhelming. In these situations you can either look the other way or actually do something about it. We should chose the latter. India may be a small country, for that matter, Mangaluru may be a small city, but we can make a difference. We can be a role model.

And for that matter, the Indian Coast Guard had organized “The International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) all along the coastline of India in association with various organizations on 15 September 2018. The aim of coastal cleanup is to sensitize general public to maintain cleanliness of beaches by removal of debris and collect its data to prevent such pollution in the future. And the Mangaluru division of Indian Coast Guard had organized this project at Panambur Beach, today, 15 September from 8 am to 10.30 am, in the presence of various State dignitaries and officials.

Along with event at Panambur, cleanliness drive was also conducted at beaches at Tannirbhavi, Shashithula, Suratkal, Udupi and Karwar. The main aim of this event was -To raise awareness of the quantities and types of marine debris; To determine the various sources of marine debris; To evaluate the impact of marine debris on wildlife and habitat; To assist in the enforcement of regulations against illegal dumping; and To influence industries that manufacture products that cause harm to the marine environment. And with many youth participating in this event, it is obviously great for the environment, but it also helps contribute to their own future by taking small visions and dreams and collectively making a better tomorrow.

Headquarters, Coast Guard District (Karnataka) under the aegis of South Asian Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) in South Asian Region planning co-ordinated Coastal Cleanup as part of ICC-2018 at the beaches of Panambur, Tannirbhavi, Surathkal, Sasihithlu, Malpe and Rabindranath Tagore beach, Karwar today on 15 Sep 2018.

International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) was started by the Ocean Conservancy in 1986 to engage volunteers in collecting marine debris. The ocean covers 71% of the Earth. The ocean helps produce the water we drink and the air we breathe. It absorbs carbon dioxide and lessens the effect of global warming. It also produces food and recreation opportunities for millions of people. Despite its importance, the ocean is still not fully explored or understood.

Coast Guard efforts of coastal clean-up derive was multiplied by joining the hands of Coastal Security Police, New Mangalore Port Trust, Central Industrial Security Force, Customs & Central Excise, School & College Students, NCC Cadets, NSS volunteers and enthusiastic volunteers from all walks of life in association of Coast Guard Wives Welfare Association New Mangalore. Educational institutes like KMC, NITK Suratkal, MV Shetty College, Sri Devi College, Municipal Schools and Kendriya Vidyalaya from Mangaluru, Government PU College Kundapura and Malpe, Hinduja Global Solution LTD, NMPT High School, Fishery Primary School, Govt University College, Govindasa PU College participate in the event.

The presence of the dignitaries and leaders brought the waves of enthusiasm and motivation among the volunteers. Lal Goel, Chairman of Organ Donation India Foundation, Dr Uma Maheshwar Rao, Director, NITK Suratkal, Mrs D’souza, Prof, Mahe Manipal were the dignitaries at Panambur. M Shivananda, Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Panchayat and Pashavanath, Dy Director Fisheries, Udupi were the prominent guest at Malpe. Dy Commissioner and Managing Director Grasim Industries at Karwar led volunteers at Tagore beach.

The Commander, Coast Guard Karnataka, DIG SS Dasila, TM who was present at Panambur beach, during the cleanup drive, stated “Trash in the ocean is widespread and can harm the health of the ocean and its marine life. One major source of trash in the ocean is garbage that washes off the beach and into the ocean, where it can choke or entangle marine life so let’s all Take a pledge to keep the ocean clean”.

All the participating personnel were provided with garbage bags and protective gloves to undertake the beach and surroundings cleaning. The feeling of ecstasy and togetherness was evident in the team and comradeship was seen among various age groups, professions and organizations. The participants removed the waste and non-bio degradable materials littered at beaches. The waste mainly consisted of wrappers of food articles and plastic bottles thrown by tourists. The collected waste materials were put in garbage bags for proper disposal. The cleanliness drive has created awareness among people and hope they continue to come forward to keep the coastal environment clean for the years to come

LM Gajbhiye, Commandant, PRO, Coast Guard Karnataka was also active in communicating with the media to highlight this issue, so that beach goers make it a point not to litter garbage wherever they want, instead use the garbage bins placed at the beaches.