Coastguards take up the work of cleaning beaches in Chennai

Coast Guards are organizing Coastal Cleanup Day at Marina and Elliot’s Beaches on September 16^th  from dawn to dusk. Personnel from Coastguards, Governmental agencies, NGOs, and students from Colleges will be participating in the event.

Environmentalists complain that all the Government agencies including Coastguards concentrate on cleaning the high profile Marina and Elliots beaches while leaving other lesser known beaches in Tiruvanmiyur, Neelangarai and the stretch extending to Mahabalipuram to fend for themselves. It is time they look at cleaning other beaches as well they said

Indian Coast Guard, an Armed Force of the union has been undertaking various programs to generate widespread awareness on ocean conservation and protection of marine ecology amongst the coastal population, particularly the fishing community as part of International coastal clean up drive

International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) was started as part of UN Environment Programme (UNEP) initiative in 1986 to sensitize coastal populace on conservation of oceans and prevent dumping of waste into oceans. ICC is celebrated world-wide during September every year

The oceans have been treated as a dumping ground for man-made waste generated all-round the globe. Marine debris collected from oceans indicates that majority of non-biodegradable waste has emanated from land sources, particularly plastic waste from urban centers and industrial entities. Ocean debris has caused catastrophic effects on marine flora and fauna affecting safe habitat for marine animals