One fine morning, as Mr Damodar Hegde and his acquaintance Mr Ganesh Mulki Nayak headed to the Tannirbhavi Beach in the city of Mangaluru with hopes of being able to jog without shoes, they faced an unforeseen problem. The plastic waste and other pollutants dumped on the beach made it impossible for them to jog on the sand let alone jog without shoes. That day they decided to take matters into their own hands. Unlike people who just talk about saving the environment and do nothing to actually save it, both Mr Hegde and Mr Nayak decided it was high time they start an initiative in an attempt to clear the beach of all the waste that has been washed to the shore. After all, the Tannirbhavi beach is one of the most popular beaches in Mangalore and leaving it rotting with all the waste was far from what their conscience would allow them to do.
Thus began the initiative to save their beloved Tannirbhavi beach from pollution and restore it to its original state. What was started as a small attempt by two friends united by their common goal to clean the beach, ended as a much larger movement that people from across the city joined in to help. Day-by-day as they saw the number of volunteers to clean the beach increase, hope was instilled in the hearts of these two friends who wanted nothing more than a beach they cherish to be free of pollutants.
Currently the initiative is seeing its second week as more volunteers join the group in cleaning. The group meets at 6 30 in the morning and work for approximately one and half hours with the group dispersing at 8 AM. As more and more people began showing an interest in this movement, both Mr Hegde and Mr Nayak decided that it was only right to include every beach in mangalore so that volunteers who live far from the Tannirbhavi beach could still be a part of the initiative by cleaning a beach that is closer to their homes. The volunteers dispose the waste that is collected in dustbins that the workers from the Mangalore Muncipality Corporation would collect waste from in the hopes of showing people that no matter how vaste or deep, the ocean should never be treated as a dustbin.
This initiative will continue to be in action as long as there is waste left on the beaches of the city of Mangalore. In perilous times such as these, this gesture towards Mother Nature by both Mr. Hegde and Mr. Nayak along with all other volunteers give us hope that even in the darkest times, a little light can always shine. Those who wish to be a part of the movement can join them as they clean the beaches every morning. This initiative is open to all and is an invitation to be a part of something spectacular.
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