A Step Towards Ocean Conservation: BYJUites Clear the Girgaon Chowpatty Beach, Mumbai

We live on a planet occupied by several species from different parts of the animal kingdom. But over the last few decades, we are seeing an increasing menace to the world, with increasing development and growth.

Moreover, single-use plastics have occupied a considerable role in our daily lives, which ultimately ends up in landfills, and also in ecosystems like the oceans and beaches. In a step towards combating this issue, BYJUites, in association with the non-profit Change is Us, cleared the Girgaon Chowpatty beach in Mumbai.

The event was organised on 24th November, with a team of volunteers, who collected approximately 1000 kilogrammes of waste from the beach in a single day. The collected items included milk and chips packets, plastic garlands, cloth, plastic bags, and various other forms of trash, which were cleared off the shores by the volunteers and disposed of properly.

“It was quite disheartening to see the amount of garbage that washed up on the shore, so we were more than happy to volunteer for the cleanup. Around 10-15 BYJUites had gone for the drive with other volunteers to the beach. We found all kinds of waste on the beach, which are very harmful to sea creatures,” says Ajim Shaikh, BDM.

He adds, “After a long evening of picking up all of the waste and discarding/recycling it, all of us realised what the rag pickers and waste workers go through. It was truly eye-opening for us. Once the beach was neat and clean, we couldn’t help but feel happy despite being tired and sweaty. The lessons we learned about our world are invaluable and have taught us about the importance of our environment.”

“Beaches were a big part of my weekend plans when I was younger. But it is depressing to see that the idyllic environment we spent our childhood in is now in serious trouble. Armed with cleaning tools and the determination to reclaim the beach, we all got to work and collected close to 1000 kg of trash!” shares Praveen Pandey, Relationship Manager.

“Through this activity, I’ve learned to think twice before buying plastic goods and disposing of the existing plastic in my life. Because combating marine pollution means not only cleaning beaches but adjusting lifestyle choices to relinquish the plastic,” he adds.

Shakir Shaikh, Operations shares that the greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it, adding, “It’s all up to every single one of us to be a part of saving and taking care of the environment we live and breathe in.”

He says, “It was a very rewarding experience. One that opened our eyes and hearts to the knowledge and awareness of how much waste gets piled up on the shores every day and the amount of damage this could do to the environment. The beach looked so clean and beautiful, and it could stay this way if all of us stop littering and consciously take good care of the environment.”

BYJUites continue to volunteer and make a difference to the planet and its beings. BYJU’S Education for All, too, strives to support and empower children in need with the power of learning. We hope to reach 10 million children by 2025.

BYJU’S Education for All is on a mission to empower 10 million children by 2025 with education. Through the BYJU’S Give programme, you can contribute to this movement and help children with quality digital learning. You can donate an old device, which we will refurbish, and then use the money raised to buy a new device. In case you do not have a device, you can also donate to an NGO partner, who will use the funds to buy devices for children.

In both cases, we will load our BYJU’S Think & Learn premium content onto these devices and distribute them to children in need.

Watch: BYJUites in action: International Volunteer Day