36th International Coastal Clean-up Day

WHY IN THE NEWS?

The 36th International Coastal Clean-up Day was celebrated on September 18, 2021, for the tenth consecutive year.

About:

• The day was celebrated by the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) at Visakhapatnam.
• As part of the day, ENC carried the Coastal Clean-up Drive at Yarada Beach, Bheemili Beach and other sea fronts in the premises of Naval units of Visakhapatnam.
• About 500 Naval personnel, Defence Civilians and their families overtook the clean-up drive by complying to the COVID19 protocols.

Aim of the drive

The clean-up drive was launched with the aim of creating awareness among people to keep beaches clean, safeguarding our environment and inculcating the habit of respecting the coastlines which ultimately nurtures the marine biodiversity.

International Coastal Clean-up Day

The day is traditionally held on the third Saturday of September. In 2021, this day is being observed on September 18th.

The theme of the day

International Coastal Clean-Up Day 2021 is being celebrated under the theme: “Keep trash in the bin and not in the ocean”.

History of the day

The International Coastal Clean-up started by the Ocean Conservancy, in 1986. During that time, communities rallied together with a common goal of collecting and documenting the trash lying on their coastline. Since then, International Coastal Clean-up Community encourages people across the world to remove trash and debris from waterways, beaches & other water bodies, on the third Saturday of September, each year. People are also encouraged to identify the sources of litter, to bring in behavioural changes that cause pollution and to raise awareness regarding the marine debris problem.