Mumbai: Hundreds of Mumbaikars cleaned the Juhu Beach on Wednesday morning under a cleanup drive organised by Project Mumbai, as a run-up to the Mumbai Climate Week, announced by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. About 400 volunteers removed almost 2000kg of plastic waste from the coast.
On Tuesday, Fadnavis announced that India will host the first-ever Mumbai Climate Week in February to position the city as a leading platform for climate collaboration across the Global South. The three-day event will be organised by non-governmental organisation Project Mumbai, in partnership with Maharashtra government's Department of Environment and Climate Change and supported by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
On Wednesday, the first curtain raiser event was organised by Project Mumbai through its flagship beach cleanup initiative ‘Jallosh: Clean Coasts, Restore The Shore’. The citizen-led initiative was also led by UNICEF India and YuWaah's Green Rising and was supported by BMC and the state climate action cell, along with Majhi Vasundhara and various colleges through NSS. The initiative supports India’s climate commitments and aligns with the national Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) by encouraging sustainable living and climate-conscious behaviour.
In less than two hours of concerted clean up, the highly motivated group of volunteers collected a whopping 1,946kg of plastic waste from the coastline. According to Project Mumbai, the collected plastic waste will be recycled into amenities and the participants were made aware about the exercise to inculcate behaviour change and ensure that no waste goes into landfill.
At Juhu Koliwada, volunteers participated in a range of activities, including beach clean-up and waste segregation, shoreline restoration and awareness sessions on sustainable lifestyles. The initiative aimed to bring about visible local change while contributing to global sustainability efforts.
Kevin Frey, chief executive officer of UNICEF's Generation Unlimited, said, “When young people act locally, they create ripples of change that impact the world. Through Green Rising, Generation Unlimited is empowering youth with the skills, confidence, and opportunities to turn climate action into lasting community impact, and scale it to global progress. What’s happening here in Mumbai is part of a worldwide movement to co-create a greener future for all.”
Shishir Joshi, CEO and Founder of Project Mumbai, said, “Through such moments of giving, Project Mumbai can see Mumbai soon becoming the Kindness capital of India. Beach clean ups such as these, inspire citizens to take ownership of their city and urban environment. The initiative reflects how small, consistent community actions can lead to lasting change and build a resilient future for all.”
Sudhaka Bobade, mission director of Majhi Vasundhara under Maharashtra government's department of environment and climate change, said, “The collective action between the government, the private sector and civil society promoted Behavioural Change promoting sustainable living practices aligned with Mission LiFE and Majhi Vasundhara goals.”
Sanjay Singh, chief of UNICEF Maharashtra said, “The enthusiasm of young volunteers at Juhu Beach shows that when youth and citizens come together, they can turn the tide on climate change and we reaffirm our commitment to the Government of Maharashtra for making Mumbai Climate Week a successful consultation.”
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