Volunteers in Gujarat made a big splash on International Coastal Cleanup Day, gathering over 51,500 kilograms of solid waste from 10 popular beaches. The massive effort on September 20 cleaned up spots like Dumas in Surat, historic Dandi, Dwarka, and others, helping protect marine life from plastic pollution and marine litter.
State officials announced the results on Tuesday, highlighting how the campaign collected 51,541 kg of trash and disposed of it using eco-friendly scientific methods to cut down on environmental harm. Coordinated by the Gujarat Ecology and Environment Management Institute (GEMI) under the central government’s National Coastal Mission Scheme, the drive aligned with India’s ‘Seva Pakhwada’ 2025—from September 17 to October 2—a nationwide push for community service like tree planting and cleanliness campaigns.
Guided by State Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Mulubhai Bera and Minister of State Mukesh Patel, teams from government departments, local authorities, NGOs, the Coast Guard, schools, colleges, industries, and everyday citizens rolled up their sleeves. They targeted beaches including Bet Dwarka, Veraval Chowpatty, Porbandar Chowpatty, Ravalpir in Mandvi, Shivrajpur, Umargam, and Koliyak in Bhavnagar.
Beyond picking up trash, the event sparked awareness on keeping coastlines clean. Organizers added fun twists like street plays, sand art, painting contests, and a special tree-planting initiative called ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ to promote marine conservation and climate action. This global day reminds everyone of the urgent need to safeguard oceans and coastal ecosystems.
Gujarat’s push fits into India’s bigger waste management goals, backed by the Solid Waste Management Rules of 2016. The country aims for full scientific processing of waste, source segregation, recycling, and less reliance on landfills. Under Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, efforts include door-to-door collection in cities, processing at least 75-80% of municipal solid waste, and banning single-use plastics. Projects like material recovery facilities, waste-to-energy plants, and bio-methanation units turn trash into resources, building a circular economy where waste fuels progress.
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