The Urban Ocean program, run jointly by Ocean Conservancy, Resilient Cities Network and The Circulate Initiative, is actively combating plastic pollution using a blend of upstream and downstream strategies. They collaborate with stakeholders from diverse sectors including construction, technology, education, environmental management, and the informal waste sector. Launched in 2020, the program partners with 12 cities across Asia and Latin America, aiming to pioneer effective solutions to the global challenge of plastic pollution.

During the Urban Ocean Conclave, held from June 18 to 20, delegates from countries as far as Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Thailand and Indonesia participated, apart from domestic representation from Karnataka, Mumbai, Pune and Surat.

On June 18, The event was graced by Supriya Sahu, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary (Environment Climate Change & Forests). She explained the various efforts taken by the government of Tamilnadu to protect the environment: Green cover mission, Coastal mission, Climate change mission, Wetlands mission etc.

On June 19, Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner, Dr.J.Radhakrishnan, IAS, appreciated the efforts of the Urban Ocean programme and stated that such summits were essential to brainstorm and come up with ideas to combat plastic pollution. “Despite the concept of reduce and reuse, there has been an increase in the per capita garbage generated in the city from 500 gms in the year 2000 to 750 gms per household now. It is time to look for holistic integrated waste management systems to combat these issues and I am sure that we can come up with such ideas in such summits,” he stated.

On both days, experts shared their experiences and the possible way forward. Representatives also showcased their best practices that have yielded results and the challenges that need addressing. The key highlight was, however, the pilot visit to the neighbourhood of Kasturba Nagar, held on June 20.

Residents of Kasturba Nagar Association (ROKA) has collaborated effectively with Okapi Research and Advisory (IIT Madras incubated) to spearhead comprehensive waste management initiatives, through the We Segregate Project. Together, they have implemented innovative strategies to promote sustainability and environmental responsibility within the community. Their partnership not only addresses waste management challenges but also educates residents on the importance of recycling and reducing their carbon footprint. By fostering community engagement and leveraging expertise from these organisations, ROKA continues to make significant strides in creating a cleaner and greener environment for all residents of Kasturba Nagar.

The day began at the KNRA hall with the nearly 40 delegates welcomed with flowers and kamarkattu. After a short introductory video highlighting the local area, providing context for our visit, the visitors explored the locality to understand its sustainable waste management practices. The visit aimed to foster knowledge exchange and inspire similar initiatives in different urban settings facing similar challenges.

The delegation got to see the different types of lane composters installed in the locality. Visitors were impressed by the meticulous maintenance of the composters and the collaborative efforts of the community. Their enthusiasm stemmed from observing how these methods effectively managed organic waste, fostering admiration for the cooperative spirit and dedication to sustainable practices within the vicinity. They also visited several apartments in the neighbourhood to experience a terrace kitchen garden and understand effective techniques to implement source segregation. 

The ‘Punch the Plastic’ (PTP) initiative was implemented as the plastic component of the We Segregate Project. The concept involves installing sharp curved hooks on apartment walls specifically designed to collect low-grade single-use plastic waste. “It is a challenge for each household to collect sufficient quantities of such plastics and give it to an aggregator. With the PTP initiative, we can collect in bulk and give it directly to the aggregators,” highlighted P.Saranya, Treasurer of ROKA. 

As the event concluded, the participants were served regional delicacies in steel cutlery and asked to wash their hands rather than using tissue paper, making it a zero-waste event. To ensure a lasting impact, everyone also participated in a fun sustainability quiz, so one might ponder on the choices we make every day towards saving our environment.

During the feedback session that followed the visit, representatives from other cities expressed genuine admiration for the management practices observed. One of them stated, “Having visited last October, I’ve seen significant improvements since then. I’m quite envious but eager to implement these techniques in my own country.” The event served as a platform for mutual learning and inspiration, fostering a sense of solidarity in tackling waste management issues through practical and innovative solutions. ROKA can be contacted at roka.drives@gmail.com.

Out of these, the most prominent  visitors are Olive-Ridley turtles, commonly nesting along the Coromandel coast and are known to forage in south Tamil Nadu waters, whereas nesting by other species of turtles is rare at present.

Every year, preparations for sea turtle season begins in Tamil Nadu in the month of November. Forest Department undertakes preparatory works, including making temporary hatcheries, organisation of orientation programme for the staff and inter-departmental coordination meetings followed by daily  night patrolling operations along with NGOs like Students Sea Turtle Conservation Nesting (SSTCN) and other volunteers along with the staff and watchers of the Forest Department, specifically appointed for the purpose, wherein nests are identified and relocated in Forest Department hatcheries.  

This year during the Turtle nesting season the department established 53 hatcheries spread over in 8 divisions of 13 coastal districts. A total of 2363 nests were collected with 2,58,775 eggs, which were meticulously translocated to departmental hatcheries. Monitoring was carried out 24/7 in all these hatcheries right from the translocation till release of every hatchling. While doing so all the parameters were recorded including temperature of all the nests. The department released 2,15,778 hatchings this year, which is the highest ever recorded so far. Last year 1,82,917 hatchlings were released.

Districts of Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Chennai saw the largest release at Cuddalore – 89648, Nagapattinam – 60438 and Chennai – 38230 respectively. This year, 185 field staff of the department and 264 volunteers actively participated in this Conservation exercise. In order to bolster the efforts of the Department, the Government of Tamil Nadu has already announced setting up of Sea-Turtle Conservation Centres at Chennai and Nagapattinam, which will further give impetus to the conservation efforts towards these species.

• An online session on the topic ‘Gender Responsive Drought Resilience’, by guest speaker Dr.Anushya Jagannathan, a research scientist, who elucidated sustainable practices.
• A flower garden was set up inside WIA’s premises at R.A.Puram, by the President and members. 
• Yellow cloth bags were distributed to the public at T.Nagar with the insistence to replace plastic bags.
• An online essay competition was conducted and cash awards were given to Keerthana, Mishra, Esther Monica and Shanmuga Priya.
• 500 people participated in a signature campaign and pledged to not use any kind of plastic. The signatures will be handed over to the Minister for Environment, Tamil Nadu with a request to stop the plastic production.
• A 2 km walkathon was organised highlighting the theme ‘Our Land Our Future’.
• A human chain was formed, at Adyar, to create awareness of plastics and zero landfills.
• A seminar was conducted with the theme ‘The need to protect our land’.
• A seminar was conducted at MGR Home and Hr.Sec School, for 60  teachers and B.Ed teacher trainees. Dr.Sudhakar – Director of CPR Environmental Education Centre explained about the state of our environment and key issues like environmental degradation, depletion of resources etc. 
• A waste collection drive was arranged along with ROKA (Residents of Kasturba Nagar Association) to collect e-waste, plastic, paper and clothes. Approximately 360 kg of waste was collected.

On the concluding day (June 8), nearly 104 women participated in the event, where four women who were committed to keeping the land clean and green, were honoured. Dr.Muthukumar – Programme Officer (Department of Environment and Climate Change), was the chief guest. He insisted all to grow plants to improve biodiversity and reduce temperatures.

President Padma Venkataraman honoured the green warriors of Chennai and also insisted that everyone focus on the micro change that everyone can bring in to save the Earth – from saying no to plastics and aiming for zero landfills. WIA can be contacted at 91769 28485, 94442 51013.

However, the beach falls in the category of Coastal Regulation Zone 1 (CRZ 1) and thus any construction there is illegal. CRZ 1 are ecologically sensitive areas that are essential in maintaining the ecosystem of the coast. This includes natural parks, sanctuaries, reserve forests, wildlife habitats, mangroves, coral reefs, breeding and spawning grounds of marine life, heritage areas, areas rich in genetic diversity, areas likely to be inundated by the rise in sea levels, and the areas between low and high tide lines.

The beaches from Marina to Uthandi, which are home to the endangered Olive Ridley Turtles, come under CRZ 1A and 1B. As per the Ministry of Environment and Forest, “No new construction shall be permitted within 500 metres of the High Tide Line. No construction activity, except facilities for carrying treated effluents and wastewater discharges into the sea, facilities for carrying seawater for cooling purposes, oil, gas and similar pipelines, will be permitted between the Low Tide Line and the High Tide Line.” Any other construction is a violation.

Highlighting considerable dissent about the situation, the residents along with Charu Govindan (Coordinator of Voice of People), V.Srinivasan (environmental activist and Convenor of Save Pallikaranai Marshland Forum) and C.Srinivasan (Puduvellam) shared with Adyar Times a copy of the letter addressed to the Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner,  Chairperson Chennai District Coastal Zone Management Authority and the Secretary of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Tamilnadu and Chairperson State Coastal Zone Management Authority. With the letter, action is sought immediately!

The letter states:

We draw your urgent attention and intervention on the dumping of construction debris and the formation of a new illegal road on the beach near Arupadai Murugan temple, Besant Nagar.

An illegal new road is being formed to be laid after dumping of debris closer to the beach shoreline and near Arupadai Murugan Kovil, under Ward 179. This is in complete violation of the CRZ.

We are surprised to see how such new illegal roads in violation of CRZ are being formed and laid without the approval of Corporation Council resolutions, approval from the District and State CRZ/ Management Authority and the prior approval and sanction of the Tamilnadu government.

Similar attempts made a few years back to form such illegal new roads and beach beautification proposals along the coastal stretches from Thiruvanmiyur up to Uthandi and within the Greater Chennai Corporation limits were stalled after judicial interventions / judgements of the Madras High Court.

Conducted as part of the ‘We Segregate’ project funded by TCI (The Circulate Initiative) through an IIT incubated research company called Okapi Research and Advisory Pvt Ltd, the activities started with a bang – a cricket match on Mar.10. Residents – young and old, men, women and children, huddled on the Sunday morning to hit the ball beyond the boundary. Pre-event activities, which included a waste audit bingo and a crossword puzzle, helped propagate the theme of SWM. For the cricket match, the participants were divided into 3 teams – in line with the 3 colours of segregation. “This activity provided a great opportunity to discuss waste segregation,” explained Janani Venkitesh, Secretary of ROKA. M.D.Pradeep, inspector of Police (Crime Branch – Pazhavanthangal Police Station) iterated on the importance of sports in everyone’s life as much as the need to conserve the environment.

In the next, a residents’ meet was organised where nearly 50 residents brainstormed ideas to sustain the project. The session also included presentations, fun games, an online quiz, experience sharing, etc. “It was music to the ears when a resident Ms.Srimathi said home composting was therapeutic. Other residents like Ms.Raji came up with fabulous ideas to sustain segregation at the apartment level. It was a heartening experience for all of us,” said P.Saranya, Treasurer of ROKA.

The winners from the competitions were presented with gift vouchers from a sustainability store, Pracheen Vidhaan. The winning cricket team was felicitated with medals made from coconut shells. “This was yet another step to demonstrate sustainability, thanks to Arjun from Crazy Coconut who came up with this idea and made it possible,” said Saranya. At both events, healthy snacks (Buttermilk and traditional rice laddoo; Sundal and coconut water) were provided in reusable cutlery.

ROKA, with support from OKAPI, has installed three lane composters in Kasturba Nagar, as part of the ‘We Segregate’ project. The composters, launched in October 2023, were built with a capacity to compost 750 kgs of wet waste each. In February and March 2024, the community reaped the benefit of the composters as they harvested the compost, which was distributed to the residents of Kasturba Nagar. In addition, soft plastics are collected as part of the project in the Punch the Plastic Hooks (PTP hooks), a design by the students of the IIT-M.

ROKA can be contacted at 97911 03797; Crazy Coconut can be contacted at 88385 44494; Pracheen Vidhan www.praacheenvidhaan.com.

The AD & Inspectors of the Fisheries Department, Forest Range Officer, Chengalpattu, the Coast Guard, Marine Police personnel, and Inspector of Police, Cheyyur, along with the volunteers from the local fishing communities and youth participated in the workshop.

The TREE Foundation conducted the workshop as a large number of dead turtles have been reported due to entanglement in fishing gears and ghost nets-related injuries. The workshop aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of the local youth fishing community in identifying, recording, measuring, conserving and releasing marine megafauna, including dolphins, whales, sharks, rays, and turtles from fishing gear and ghost nets. 

The workshop also provided the fishermen and participants with an excellent opportunity to interact, exchange and share ideas and thus strengthen the network with other enforcement agencies that are charged with the protection of the marine environment and endangered marine life.

The workshop was facilitated by Dr. Supraja Dharini, the founder and chairperson of TREE Foundation, who has been actively involved in the community-based sea turtle conservation programme for the past 21 years. Dr. Dharini shared her expertise and experience on the biology, ecology, threats, and conservation of marine megafauna, especially sea turtles. 

The senior Sea Turtle Protection Force members also demonstrated the techniques and protocols for recording, handling, measuring, and releasing endangered marine animals safely and humanely back to sea. Although some of the fishermen have already been identifying and releasing several sea turtles, dolphins, and sharks that were entangled in fishing nets and ghost nets at sea, it is important to expand the program to motivate and bring the majority of fishermen under its fold.

During the workshop the fishermen participants also learned how to record data: the GPS location, the nautical miles, what net or ghost net the species was observed entangled in and video record the marine megafauna incidents to the respective STPF who share the same to the TREE Foundation office. The data will then be shared with the relevant authorities.

The workshop also included practical demonstration sessions, where the participants were taken to the nearby estuary to practise the process and record the marine megafauna sightings and release of entangled marine animals using models of marine animals.

As the city celebrates the many festivals across the city, it often forgets to respect the very living beings and nature that the festivals celebrate. During Pongal, the Chennai Sangamam was celebrated throughout Chennai and one of the locations was Elliot’s beach. The celebrations were on for 4 days – Jan 14 to 17, from 6 pm to 9 pm. 

The months of January and February are also the turtle nestling season. The Chennai coast is an active breeding ground for the endangered Olive Ridley Turtles, and Elliot’s Beach is one of them. Such loud activity is known to hamper the nestling season. 

The Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) is a voluntary group, mainly comprising students and young adults who have been working in the beaches of Chennai since 1987, trying to conserve and create awareness about the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtle. 

Activists are already concerned with the high mast lamp at the Elliot’s and Thiruvanmiyur beaches that remain lit for most part of the night. The activities at the beach till beyond sunset adds to the disorientation for the turtles.

“On one hand the government announces a Coastal Restoration Mission, sea turtle rehab centre & conservation and stopping of marine pollution, and on the other hand facilitates mindless noise, light and land pollution! Such illuminated and noisy events have adverse impacts if conducted on the beach. After dusk, the beach should have minimal lighting sufficient for the safety of beachgoers. Even the current bright lamps of the shops towards the shore and the so-called amusement park need to be stopped,” says Dr.T.D.Babu, Co-Founder of civic body Spark and a marine biologist, while pointing out that the celebrations are ill-timed at Elliot’s beach, “Trutles are worst affected during this period whereas other marine/coastal living communities are affected throughout the year due to light and noise pollution besides land pollution.” He adds that Elliot’s beach is already strained with the umpteen activities carried on there, resulting in the degradation of its ecology – rampant littering, uprooting of the Goat Feet creeper and destroyed sand dunes.

Know more about Olive Ridley Turtles

The olive ridley gets its name from the olive green colour of its heart-shaped shell. The species is among the smallest of the world’s sea turtles and is found primarily in the tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans. In India, they nest on the east coast. The nesting season is from Jan to March in Tamilnadu. Turtle walks are conducted during this season from the Neelankarai beach to Elliot’s beach wherein the eggs are collected and safeguarded at hatcheries and released later in May.

Olive ridley turtles are found throughout the world. The number of olive ridleys has greatly reduced from historical estimates (for example, 10 million olive ridleys in the Pacific Ocean), due to overexploitation for turtle meat and eggs.  Bycatch in fishing gear and the direct harvest of turtles and eggs are the biggest threats facing Olive Ridleys.

Organisations working towards their conservation in Chennai are Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (sstcn.org) and Tree Foundation (treefoundationindia.org).

Know more about Goat’s Feet creeper

The Goat’s Feet (Ipomoea pes-caprae; Attukaal in Tamil) is an evergreen creeper and is a primary sand stabilizer, being one of the first plants to colonise dunes. It grows on sand dunes and beaches above the high tide line in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is a useful sand binder, thriving under conditions of sandblast and salt spray. Its leaves are used to relieve stings and bites from insects, stingrays and snakes as well as a cure for skin irritations, boils, skin infections, ringworm and haemorrhoids.

How do beach sand dunes protect us?

The ocean and the wind can have an unpredictable, destructive force on coastal regions, and sand dunes protect inland areas from swells, tides, and winds apart from preventing or minimising coastal flooding and structural damage. They must thus be protected. 

A research paper at Horizon – The EU Research and Innovation magazine, explains, “‘Dunes are keepers of sand, they are reservoirs,’ said Freitas. ‘When there are bigger and stronger waves during storms, the sand is taken from the beach, which creates an underwater barrier, so the next waves will be blocked.’ Eventually, over weeks or months, more gentle waves gradually return the eroded sand from offshore to the beach. This fluctuating of the shoreline backwards and forwards over time is a normal coastal process that is hardly noticeable in normal times but can be dramatic during storms.” (https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/horizon-magazine/sand-dunes-offer-clues-coastal-erosion-and-how-prevent-it.)

While countries like the Netherlands, USA and Australia are launching projects to protect the sand dunes on the beaches, in India, in a first, a panchayat at Goa (Varca local panchayat) has taken the initiative to restore a sand dune after it was destroyed due to illegal actions. Tourism and related activities are said to have corroded at least 27% of Goa’s beaches. (https://www.gomantaktimes.com/opinion/the-destruction-of-goas-sand-dunes.)

Residents of Kasturba Nagar Association (ROKA) conducted their 8th edition of the waste collection drive on Jan.6 and 7 at the Kasturba Nagar Residents Association Hall and Chennai High School, Kamaraj Avenue, Adyar.

Like the earlier edition, this edition too showcased new ideas for sustainability at the venues. “Apart from collecting waste, ROKA feels that we also must showcase alternatives so people are aware of them and contribute to reducing plastics,” said Janani Venkitesh, Secretary of ROKA, as she introduced the refill truck concept, thrift store and ‘Nilayaan’ a sustainability solutions provider for kitchenware and composting.

ROKA partnered with Wasted 360 Solutions, Recycle Mart and Bisleri for the drive and collected clothes (including undergarments), e-waste, pens, empty tablet strips, X-rays, footwear, mattresses & pillows, toys and books, bags, glassware, hard and soft plastics and pictures of deities. Wasted 360’s refill truck was a unique concept that offered handwash, detergent, floor cleaner and dishwashing soaps to interested people, with a catch that they bring their own bottles. “The basic concept is to reduce plastics. These liquid soaps always come in plastic containers, thus with the refill truck, we are giving an option to people to bring their own container and refill the soaps,” explained Janani.

The thrift store displayed many fabulous dresses apart from books and toys. While the book genres ranged from fiction to children to management, toys included Mindbender games, puzzles and collectables like the Quidditch ball from the Harry Potter series.

Nilayaan too gave an overview of the available sustainable kitchenware – cutlery, bowls, glasses, toothbrushes and flasks. “Coconut shells are not biodegradable. Due to their enhanced shelf-life, they can make amazing bowls and glasses,” explained Deepesh as he also showed a variety of composters – for apartments and homes, apart from another specifically for pooja flowers.

The two-day drive was packed with not only individuals bringing in their waste but also institutions that gave away products – a catering company gave away more than a hundred porcelain plates and saucers, a boutique gave away clothes and a hotel gave away cartons of glass bottles. Other items that came in were: iron tables, CRT TVs, washing machine drums, bestseller books including the Asterix and Oblix series and Tintin series etc. 

Some of the residence communities, like CeeDeeYes Velachery, Karpagam Gardens and Nawab Gardens collected waste in their locality and sent it through logistics providers. The event saw a footfall of more than 400 people and collected around 10 tonnes of waste. 

At the event, representatives from Bisleri also recognised ROKA members for their efforts in the ‘Punch the Plastic’ initiative. ROKA has partnered with Okapi Research and Advisory (an IIT Madras incubated company) and Bisleri to collect single-use plastic and multi-layer plastic (MLP), from residents of Kasturba Nagar, for recycling. The initiative was started on Oct 11 and till December mid, the neighbourhood collected 21 kgs of plastic. 

ROKA thanked all the participants, the Corporation and the volunteers from Loyola College’s MSW department, for their support.

Participating a the event, Dr J Radhakrishnan, IAS, Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), stated that such drives are the need of the hour, “However it is a collective responsibility of all residents to ensure that garbage and plastic waste is not dumped on roadside or water bodies as it ends up at city’s beaches,” he said. 

He added that beaches are habitats of olive ridley turtles; fishermen lose their livelihood as plastic gets stuck in fishing nets, “Let’s all work together and make the city a clean place.”

Also in attendance were Urbaser Sumeet’s CEO, Mahmood Sait, Projects Heads (II & V), Zonal officials and heads of departments. Volunteers from Vivekananda College, Ramakrishna Mission College of Arts and Science, and AM Jain College of Arts and Science, along with the Rotaract Clubs, actively participated in the cleanup. 

The collected waste, particularly plastic bottles and bags, was dispatched to recycling units, according to a statement from Urbaser Sumeet. For more information, contact V.R Hari Balaji (Urbaser Sumeet) at 89255 22001.

This inspiring event is designed to foster creativity among Chennai’s youth, while imparting vital lessons on environmental consciousness through art and poetry. It was conducted in multiple schools in the city. Nearly 60 students from Chennai Corporation Primary and Higher Secondary School, Bharathidasan Street, Thiruvanmiyur participated, representing Zone 13. 

“Our collective goal is to educate the younger minds and upcoming generations regarding responsible Solid Waste Management; hence, our team has carefully curated this initiative not only highlighting the talents of students of Chennai Schools but also underscoring the collaborative spirit of Urbaser Sumeet and the Greater Chennai Corporation in nurturing these future generations to be environmentally responsible citizens,” said a statement from Urbaser Sumeet.