WHAT IS BEACH PLEASE?
"Beach Please" is a youth community working towards tackling marine pollution. This initiative was started on September 10, 2017. This was initiated by a then 19-year-old college student Malhar Kalambe. Malhar didn’t approach anyone formally or went to any organization asking for help to support his cause. He started the campaign simply by circulating the messages on WhatsApp. “I started sending texts to my friends urging them to come forward and help me clean up Dadar beach and now we have about 100-120 people who join us every Sunday,” he says.
More about Malhar and ''Beach Please''
As of Jan 2020, "Beach Please" has cleaned 3,800 tons of garbage from the coastlines of the beaches and banks of the Mithi river. This initiative has engaged around 40,000 citizens till the date. The cleanup drives are free of cost. The cost of equipment and other requirements for the cleanups are funded by Malhar and his team. The major focus of this campaign is on sensitizing the communities so they don't pollute the river and we don't have to collect this waste.
Malhar's mission is to restore natural beauty as much as he can and he is doing it through "Beach Please". He received the V-Award, an initiative by the United Nations Volunteers India. The award, supported by UNICEF, aims to celebrate young people, who are making the world a better place for all through their acts of volunteerism every day and everywhere.
The root cause of Pollution on the coastlines of Mumbai beaches
The pollution on the coastlines of Mumbai beaches is because of the irresponsible disposal of industrial and wastes from the city and slum in the Mithi river. The water in the Mithi river was potable a couple of decades ago but now the river has turned out to be more of a sewage line, industrialization on the bank of the river is a major cause.
The river originates from the overflow of Vihar Lake and also receives the overflows from the Powai Lake about 2 km later. It flows for a total of 18 km before it meets the Arabian Sea at Mahim Creek flowing through residential and industrial complexes of Powai, Saki Naka, Kurla, Kalina, Vakola, Bandra-Kurla complex, Dharavi and Mahim.
Its importance as a stormwater drain has reduced and on the contrary, it poses as a hazard during high tide bringing polluted water into the city and flooding the city. The Arabian sea washes of the waste disposed through this river on the coastlines.
HOW CAN WE HELP MALHAR?
The population of Mumbai is around 25 million. BMC and Malhar don't have enough workforce to clean the waste produced by such a large population. They need more volunteers and funds.
"Beach Please" conducts two cleanups at the Dadar beach every month and rest at the Mithi river on Saturdays and Sundays. So if you are a "Mumbaikar" and still reading my article till here you should definitely spare a weekend to take part in one of these cleanups.
Account Number: 6999413500065106
Account Name: Malhar Kalambe
Account Type: Current Account
IFSC Code: YESB0CMSNOC
