Deccan Chronicle 18.12.2009

Residents plan cleaning operation at Elliot’s beach

Dec. 17: On the Independence Day this year, the Marina was declared plastic-free and disposable cups, plates, bags or even water sachets are no longer allowed on the 4.5-km-long stretch from lighthouse to Anna memorial. But, anti-plastic law along the Marina alone cannot work.

A survey carried out by Reclaim Chennai Beaches Campaign (RCBC), a social movement formed by a group of like-minded youth and residents of Besant Nagar, found a total of 20,000 pieces of trash, including 8,500 plastic cups, water sachets and disposable spoons, 1,735 pieces of broken glass and bits of balloon strewn along the 800-metre-long Besant Nagar beach, the second most popular in the city.

The survey was conducted more than a year after the Chennai corporation executed its Rs 2.43 crore package for beach beautification in Besant Nagar. “No beauty has been added to the Besant Nagar beach. In fact, the city corporation has funded only two trash cans and one flower bin, put up by Neelmetal, for garbage collection at Besant Nagar beach. It is time we reclaim our public property,” Mr Siddharth Hande, a member of the 350-member youth collective, a subsidiary of RCBC, said.

In a bid to create awareness among the people and promote zero waste, the group has planned to organise a massive clean up programme on January 30 and 31, 2010.

“The city administration cannot be taking care of the whole issue every time. Each citizen has the social responsibility and we are planning for a massive programme for creating awareness among the general public to educate them on how to handle waste, through video clippings and movies,” says Ms Sharadha Shankar of Save Chennai Beaches Campaign, which is working along with RCBC.