CHENNAI: The city marked International Coastal Cleanup Day 2025 with large-scale drives that combined citizen action, government support, and innovative waste recovery models.
Along the city's shoreline, the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) partnered with waste-management firm Kabadiwalla Connect to pilot the inclusion of informal scrap shops in organised cleanups. Five drives were held at Mamallapuram, Fishing Harbour, Akkarai, Tiruvanmiyur, and Kovalam beaches. Volunteers gathered about 1,100 kg of waste, of which 260 kg of dry recyclables were channelled to neighbourhood scrap dealers.
The pilot also addressed the "ghost nets" issue, abandoned or lost fishing gear that endangers marine life. In Kovalam, volunteers retrieved 95 kg of such nets, generating data on marine debris while supporting nearby fishing communities in tackling plastic pollution.
Parallel efforts were led by the state government and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) under the pledge "I am Saving My Beach." The cleanup teams collected 1,635 kg of plastic and other waste. Of this, 368 kg of recyclable material was sent to authorised recyclers, while 1,267 kg of non-recyclable waste was sent to cement plants for co-processing.
Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard organised a cleanliness drive at Marina Beach. Indian Volleyball team star Jerome Vinith also participated in the drive.