Ahmedabad, Sep 23 More than 51,500 kg of solid waste was collected and scientifically disposed of during a massive beach cleanup campaign conducted across 10 coastal stretches of Gujarat on September 20, marking International Coastal Cleanup Day, the state government said on Tuesday.
The initiative was held under the National Coastal Mission Scheme of the Central government and coordinated by the Gujarat Environment Management Institute (GEMI) as part of the ongoing 'Seva Pakhwada' 2025.
The cleanup drive, organised under the guidance of State Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Mulubhai Bera and Minister of State Mukesh Patel, saw active participation from multiple government departments, local bodies, NGOs, Coast Guard, schools, colleges, industries and citizens. Beaches covered in the campaign included Dumas (Surat), Dandi, Dwarka, Bet Dwarka, Veraval Chowpatty, Porbandar Chowpatty, Ravalpir (Mandvi), Shivrajpur, Umargam and Koliyak (Bhavnagar).
According to officials, around 51,541 kg of solid waste was collected from these beaches and disposed of using scientific methods to ensure minimal environmental impact.
The effort was aimed not only at cleaning but also at raising awareness on the importance of keeping coastlines free of plastic and marine litter.
In addition to cleaning activities, GEMI organised street plays, sand art, painting competitions and a special plantation drive under the theme 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' at different sites to spread awareness about marine conservation and climate action.
Celebrated globally, International Coastal Cleanup Day highlights the urgent need to protect marine life and coastal ecosystems.
In Gujarat, the campaign was part of 'Seva Pakhwada' 2025, being observed across India from September 17 to October 2, which includes a series of service-oriented programmes such as tree plantation, health check-up camps, cleanliness drives and environmental awareness initiatives.
India's waste management goals are anchored in the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, which aim for 100 per cent scientific processing, segregation at source, recycling and reuse of materials, reduction of landfill dependence, and safe disposal of residual waste.
The government targets door-to-door collection in all urban areas, processing of at least 75–80 per cent of municipal solid waste, and phasing out single-use plastics.
Initiatives like Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 focus on creating garbage-free cities through material recovery facilities, waste-to-energy plants, and bio-methanation units, while also promoting a circular economy where waste is treated as a resource.
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