On 2nd September 2018, Dadar beach celebrated its first anniversary since the massive clean-up drive that started last year.
After 53 consecutive weeks of a tireless cleanliness campaign, Dadar has finally got its 2.5-km long sandy coastline strip back. Over 400 tonnes of waste has been cleared by a group called the Beach Warriors — volunteers from different walks of life, who came together to recreate the magic of Dadar beach.
To celebrate the occasion, 75 children of ragpickers from the Mulund dump yard, were invited for a day of fun and games. Former cricketer Vinod Kambli had joined them too.
Even the themes of the games were centered around the larger concern of plastic.
‘Kick the plastic’ involved keeping 10 plastic bottles at a distance and knocking them down with a football. ‘Hit the Plastic’, saw the children take aim with a cricket ball at 10 plastic bottles in a line.
The idea was to teach the children, through these games, that plastic is indeed harmful for our future.
The Dadar campaign has been inspired by the citizen-driven weekend Versova beach cleanliness programme — championed by activist Afroz Shah and dubbed by the UN as the world’s largest beach clean-up project.
The modus operendi to clean the beach was very simple. Volunteers would venture into the sea to pick up the debris as the water level at Dadar beach receded for over a kilometre during low tide.
Kambli isn’t the first celebrity to lend his support for this cause. Singer Abhijeet Sawant, actors Dia Mirza, Divya Dutta and Kirti Kulhari and Yuva Sena leader Aditya Thackeray have joined the clean-up drive on numerous occasions.
The sustained drive has seen people returning to the beach. Whether it’s for morning walks or a casual stroll, the scenario has changed. From being a dumping ground for plastic and garbage, to a sandy beach again; Dadar has got a smile back on everyone’s lips.