1234 Kolkata: On the occasion of World Water Day, the Sea Explorers' Institute (SEI), in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the National Cadet Corps (NCC), conducted a pilot river clean-up at Sundari Ghat. Using a 100-square-foot fishing net, the initiative retrieved 162 kilograms of waste from the Hooghly within two hours.
The clean-up initiative involved boatmen, fishermen, vendors, and cleaners whose livelihoods depend on the river. The waste collected consisted of plastic bottles, torn plastic sheets, polystyrene, rubber slippers, disposable containers, and even illicit party drugs. Disturbingly, dead fish and prawns — believed to have perished due to chemical residues in the water — were also recovered.
SEI now aims to scale the initiative across 20 ghats in Kolkata. "Our pilot run showed how simple and cost-effective river cleaning can be. Now, we want to scale it up all along the city's ghats. We are seeking CSR funding to sustain this initiative," said Sudeshna Chatterjee, secretary general of SEI.
The event's chief guest, Kalyan Rudra, chairman of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board said, "This is the single biggest source of our drinking water. Beyond that, it supports transportation, agriculture, fishing, and industry. It is our lifeline, and it is high time we protect it from further pollution."
Sangita Mitra, director of WWF, said, "Plastic waste disintegrates into microplastics, which enter our food chain and have even been found in mother's milk. We must prevent plastics from reaching the river at all costs," she urged.
Addressing this crisis requires a multi-pronged approach — preventing waste disposal at source, continuous surface cleaning, and community engagement.