In order to rejuvenate Chennai’s coasts, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) joined hands with HCL Foundation and Environmentalist Foundation of India to launch “Revive Chennai’s Coasts” campaign.
As per a statement, the campaign aims at spreading awareness among people residing along the coast about the hazardous impact of ocean pollution and initiate localised community-based solution through a participatory model for behavioural change.
“Revive Chennai’s Coasts” will be a year-long campaign which will include coastal clean-up and sensitise people in Chennai. The first phase of the campaign will see beach clean-up drives and awareness programmes in and around five-kilometre beach stretch between Ashtalakshmi Temple in Besant Nagar and Kottivakkam.
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Moreover, the statement added, as a part of its commitment to help improve the coastal ecosystem in 25 percent of the Chennai’s coastline by 2025, HCL Foundation will create ‘Young Community Leaders’ as ‘Ocean Fellows’ to ensure no littering on the beach. The Environmentalist Foundation will be training these “Ocean Fellows” in the areas of Leadership, Management and Social Innovation.
Following their successful training, the fellows will involve in various community volunteering efforts such as adoption and maintenance of a beach stretch, spreading awareness among visitors on the use of plastic, to introduce ocean-friendly fishing practices, enhanced management of harbours and fish landing sites, eco-sensitisation amongst fishing villages etc., it added.
