Kolkata: Calcutta University’s department of environmental science and department of genetics in association with the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) observed ‘International Coastal Clean-up Day’ by cleaning waste from New Digha’s sea beach on Saturday. Around 58 students and their mentors participated in the clean-up drive and removed 63.5kg of litter in a span of 3 hours, out of which 40kg was plastic.
Head of environmental science department Punarbasu Chaudhuri said that while the intertidal zone of the beach was relatively clean, the trash was actually getting trapped among the boulders. “The trapped waste starts decomposing there and contaminating the environment. Also the sewage outlet of Digha is directly opening in the Bay, where the colour of the water was murky black,” he added.
A river awareness rally followed by a seminar on Gangetic dolphin conservation involving CU students and local fishermen was organised by East Midnapore forest division, directorate of forest, govt of WB.