Chennai
I would have been just another regular visitor at Marina Beach, had I not witnessed a small kid playing with a broken glass piece on the beach. I realised that day the beach is full of shards of glass. Hundreds of people visit the beach daily and spend time playing with the sand or simply strolling barefoot on it. They can get wounded seriously from these glass pieces.
The Marina beach is a much sought-after place for revellers to consume liquor and many of them break the glass bottle after it is consumed. One can find testimony of this ritual all across the beach.
Something had to be done and I wanted to do whatever little I could. I started bringing a cloth bag along with me on my morning walks and started collecting broken glass pieces. Once, I witnessed a youngster playing with a glass bottle that he found lying on the beach. Eventually he threw it across, breaking it into pieces. This made me realise glass bottles are potential hazards too and I started collecting them as well.
Every day, at around 5 am, I start walking and collecting glass pieces from MGR Samadhi and go till the Vivekananda House. By the end of it, I have two bags full of debris. The only investment I have made for this is a pair of gloves.
Imagine a 67-year-old man roaming around the beach collecting glass pieces! I have heard many people making fun of me but I have also heard many others appreciating my efforts. Once, I was doing my usual thing, when a little girl walked upto me and said that I will go a long way in life. It was almost like a blessing! Also, there have been instances when visitors on the beach joined me in collecting broken glass pieces and told me I inspired them. I have been a successful businessman and owned a printing press, that was shut eventually. Though it’s not much, my morning routine gives me a lot of joy and I will continue to do it as long as I can.
As told to Vipasha Sinha
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