This Independence Day, Mumbaikars showed their environmental awareness and actively participated in a cleanliness drive. Mumbai has many attractions in and around the city of bountiful natural surroundings. But the lush green lawns, the magnificent mountains and the tranquil waterfalls have been unabashedly replaced with tons of garbage by the tourists. The beauty spots are now garbage spots!
On witnessing the alarming rates of plastic clogging and garbage dumps, Dharmesh Barai and his team, who have always shown a level of responsibility towards nature, took charge of the waterfall areas and collected as much as 10,000 kgs of garbage. On August 15, the team cleaned up the waterfall picnic spots and did away with plastic bottles plastic wrappers, glass bottles, packaged food and broken glasses. It's sad as to how shamelessly we litter our natural surroundings!
The team had worked together for hours since October 2, 2016, towards this drive to make these tourist spots free from plastic and garbage. People from diverse age groups, ranging from 8 to 64, volunteered to clean these spaces. Their motto – 'My Waste, My Responsibility is indeed commendable.
As per reports by The Times of India, Dilip Khandkar, a 64-year-old resident of Mumbai, said, "It took us over two-three hours to pick up the scrap. People treat waterfalls like picnic spots and enjoy themselves but don't clean up afterwards. Since many waterfalls are not designated picnic spots, there aren't garbage bins, and the villages nearby do not even have 'ghanta gadis' to pick up the garbage. The Nagar Sevaks at remote areas say that there are limited funds and it is inadequate for them not help them to arrange for garbage collection from there."
It has been noted that every year, at Marine Drive, the sea throws all the garbage back to the streets, leaving tonnes of plastic waste. To effectively deal with the alarming issue, the residents should be prevented from using plastics and plastic products and promote the disposal of garbage in the bins.
The team has urged the residents of Mumbai to abstain from littering the tourist spots and be responsible enough to carry their bottles back with them and carry out proper disposals. India altogether should be urged not to litter the streets and work towards beautifying our surroundings.
It is about time we start addressing the issue of plastic waste and come up with alternatives to stop choking our planet. It is about time that we take immediate action and work toward effective waste management for non-biodegradable waste.
What measures are you taking to clean your environment? Let us know in the comments below.