1,300 Tonnes of Waste Cleared as Mangrove Drive Completes Six Years at Karave Jetty
More than 1,300 tonnes of waste has been removed from mangrove and coastal areas over the past six years through a sustained campaign by the Environment Life Foundation, which held its latest clean-up drive at Karave Jetty in Navi Mumbai on Friday. The drive marked six years since the conservation initiative originally began at the same jetty on August 15, 2020.
The campaign has mobilised more than 1.30 lakh volunteers and citizens over the six-year period. Participants in the Independence Day drive included school and college students, social organisations, local residents, and the foundation's 'Mangrove Soldiers', alongside security guards from the Mangrove Foundation.
According to the foundation, the clean-up drives have cleared plastic, thermocol, footwear, packaging material, and other debris from mangrove and coastal zones. The sustained efforts have helped restore natural habitats for marine life and improve the local coastal ecosystem.
Environment Life Foundation founder Dharmesh Barai stated that completing six years of clean-up operations was a matter of concern rather than celebration, as waste continues to flow into coastal belts. Barai noted that the organisation's ultimate goal is to reach a point where weekly clean-up drives are no longer required.
Barai explained that a significant portion of the debris originates from household plastic waste that enters open drains from residential and slum areas, eventually making its way into the sea and mangroves. He urged residents across Mumbai and neighbouring areas to reflect on the ongoing pollution and take responsibility for proper waste disposal.
Senior volunteers who participated in the Friday drive included Rohan Bhosale, Rahul Raskar, Vivek Kakade, Niti Gupta, Varsha Kumbhar, Sohan Bhosale, Amol Mhatre, Amol Chalke, Rudra Singh, Aniket Gaikwad, and Sagar Chalke. Barai expressed gratitude to the volunteers and supporters who have sustained the initiative over the past six years.
