Maharashtra: First-ever large-scale underwater cleanup removes 300 kg of marine debris from Sindhudurg coral reefs

This is the first time that an underwater Ocean floor cleanup operation has been undertaken

In what can be called an important initiative, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Fisheries Survey of India, UNDP -Mangrove Cell, and NGO Vanashakti removed 300 kg of marine debris from a 150 MTR radius near Sindhudurg Fort coral reefs.

Director of NGO Vanashakti, Stalin D said, "Around 300 kg of marine debris was removed from a 150 MTR radius near Sindhudurg fort coral reefs. Scuba divers from Malwan came forward in full support as their livelihood was getting impacted. Tourists were getting to see dirty sections of corals littered with ghost nets and non-degradable trash. Now the section looks clean. Vanashakti will continue this project to ensure the entire marine floor on the Malwan shore is clean. This project is titled Clean Shores."

Environmentalist Stalin D told Mid-Day that this is the first time that an underwater Ocean floor cleanup operation has been undertaken in India and Maharashtra on a large scale.

"Ocean floors and coral reefs are being strangulated with huge quantities of marine debris. Marine animals like crabs, fish and turtles get stuck in the debris and perish painfully. The entire ecosystem gets seriously contaminated. Ghost nets left or broken during fishing operations float and are brought to the corals by the currents. They damage the corals and also are an eyesore for tourists who flock to Malwan to see corals and understand marine ecosystems."

Stalin also said that the task of cleaning the ocean floor is very laborious and needs extensive manpower.

"Skilled divers are needed to retrieve the marine debris. The cost of this exercise of retrieving marine debris is an expensive one. Due to the challenges posed underwater, the extraction of nets and putting them into bundles takes a lot of time. We are thankful to the Maharashtra State Environment department especially MPCB which has been very sensitive to this issue and has agreed to support the initiative on a long-term basis. The local fishermen are very happy to see this initiative as it helps boost healthy fisheries. Institutions like the Fisheries Survey of India have also lent their support to this initiative. The drives will continue over the next year and we are sure that it will create healthy ecosystem marine zones in Sindhudurg" Stalin said.