Navi Mumbai: A mangrove clean up drive was organised in Navi Mumbai on Sunday in a collaborative effort by Vanashakti Foundation, Mangrove Foundation, Rotary Club, Henkel and the NMMC Solid Waste Management department. Committed participation in the clean-up drive came from 80 students of Karamveer Bhaurao Patil (KBP) College, Vashi, along with volunteers from Navi Mumbai Shapers, NMMC, Forest Department officials, Beach Please India, Henkel employees and Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Navi Mumbai (RCNM) Joy of Giving.The day-long programme featured a group of 20 children from the tribal belt of Tansa, who raised their voices on environmental issues and enacted a sustainability-focused street play, “Saviours of Life”, performed by the Vanashakti Living Theatrical Group. Over 1200 kg of waste was removed from the mangrove stretches of Navi Mumbai during the drive.
The awareness talk featured environmental practitioners and specialists Stalin D and a marine biologist from the Mangrove Foundation of Maharashtra, namely Kshitija. The talk was attended by 118 students and teachers of Sadhu Vaswani International School, Sanpada, the Interact Club of the Rotary Club of Smart City, 35 students and teachers from VIBGYOR Belapur, 110 students of NMMC School No 112, Karave Gaon, employees of Henkel and Rotary members.Senior officials from the Forest Ministry and NMMC attended as guests, including Deputy Municipal Commissioner Dr Ajay Gadade, Dnyaneshwar Rakshe, ACF Mangrove Division, and Sanjay Sandanshiv, Scientist Grade-2-cum-Under Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Department, govt of Maharashtra.Speaking on World Wetland Day, Rekha Sankhala, President, RCNM Joy of Giving, said, “Wetlands are among our most valuable yet most vulnerable natural assets. Through this Rotary-Henkel CSR initiative, we aim to engage young minds and the wider community in understanding why protecting these ecosystems is essential for our cities and our future.”
