This Saturday morning, i.e., 25th Sep 2010, opened with an early wake-up call by the EPAC coordinator to assemble at the campus main gate by 7:30 a.m. As around eleven of us sleepy EPAC members trooped into the waiting cabs, we had not the slightest idea as to the novel experience that awaited us at the other end of the half an hour long cab drive to Majorda. The Majorda beach looked pristine with its sparkling white sands and magnificent breakers. But that day it wore a slightly different look, as the crowd of people in white and banners proclaiming “International Coastal Clean-up Day” came into view. We, the volunteer team of BITS Pilani K.K. Birla Goa Campus were welcomed to help out with the event organized by the Indian Coast Guard in collaboration with the Directorate of Tourism, Goa. The major beaches to be covered in the cleanliness drive were Calangute, Sinquerim, Vainguinim and Miramar in North Goa and Baina, Bogmalo, Arossim, Majorda, Benaulim and Varca in South Goa.
Refreshments, courtesy the Majorda Beach Resort were passed around before starting off with the cleanliness drive. Members of the Indian Coast Guard briefed us on the kind of trash to be picked up and the safety measures which were to be observed. Then, each one of us, now kitted out with a black garbage bag, baseball cap and plastic gloves spanned out across the beach and inner shore area. The variety of items, mostly plastic, that came our way was surprisingly large. In addition to the regular polythene bags and plastic wrappers were syringes and glass bottles (which quite evidently contained alcohol at some point of time!).
It was back breaking work and the harsh sun didn’t help matters! But one hour and several full garbage bags later, another round of refreshments courtesy the Kenilworth, was provided. This was followed by a photo-session where we were joined by the Indian Coast Guard chopper which took aerial photos of the team of volunteers. We then continued with the clean-up, this time joined by a few of the enthusiastic hotel staff. The drive wound up around 10:30 a.m. A large portion of the beach right from the life-guard watch tower and all along the resorts had been cleared; a pile of filled up garbage bags and sweaty, content volunteers bore testimony to it.
More than the immediate gratification received from the activities of the morning, it was the sense of national pride and global environmental awareness that had been strengthened in us. It is my sincere hope that such endeavors whether undertaken by public or private organizations continue to gather wider participation and spread greater awareness. In conclusion it can be said that EPAC, BITS Goa will actively endorse and initiate such awareness drives with an ever growing zest.
- SHIVI ANAND
