Litter menace plagues Promenade beach

Though the Beach Nourishment Project has helped in rejuvenating the Promenade beach, a popular hangout spot among residents and tourists, the littering of plastic and solid waste along the beachfront has proved to be a major problem for the local body

Though the Beach Nourishment Project has helped in rejuvenating the Promenade beach, a popular hangout spot among residents and tourists, the littering of plastic and solid waste along the beachfront has proved to be a major problem for the local body. 

The problem is more rampant on the southern side of the Promenade. 

While the dumping of plastic bottles, food waste and other forms of garbage by visitors has been cited as a major factor, officials claim that garbage from the Thengaithittu fishing harbour is also finding its way into the beach during tidal variations. 

The situation is no different at Pondy Marina, the theme-based beach near the lighthouse at Dubrayapet. The beach witnesses a surge in footfall during the weekends and, consequently, a wave of trash. 

An official of the Puducherry Municipality said the local body staff had been undertaking cleaning drives on the Promenade beach and Pondy Marina in the mornings and evenings. “In spite of this, the litter problem persists. The public are also to be blamed for their lack of civic sense, which has resulted in the beaches getting polluted,” he said. 

Sunaina Mandeen, of Pondy Citizen’s Action Network (PondyCan), a civil society organisation, said, “People need to be made aware of the importance of cleanliness. This is a battle we have been fighting for decades. The city has been generating a significant volume of garbage and, evidently, the schools are not teaching kids how to responsibly get rid of garbage. The authorities should make use of the big screen on the beach to telecast short videos and movies to encourage people to stop littering.”

“The government should also involve the Tourism Department, the Confederation of Indian Industry, local industries and businesses and voluntary organisations and sensitise everyone to the need for having beautiful and clean surroundings,” she added.