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Mumbai, Jun 7 (PTI) Nearly 46 per cent of India’s annual marine litter load is washed into the sea during the southwest monsoon, experts said at a national workshop here, raising concerns about waste management and calling for a national marine litter policy.
A combination of source-level waste interception, recycling infrastructure and digital monitoring would be crucial to reducing the growing burden of marine litter along India’s coastline, they said, calling for a national marine litter policy, according to an official release.
The inputs on pollution in the sea were shared here on Friday at a workshop titled “Navigating the Marine Debris Crisis: Science, Impact, and Strategies”, organised by the Fishery Survey of India (FSI) on the occasion
of World Environment Day.
Experts said that heavy rainfall and flooding during the monsoon mobilise large volumes of accumulated land-based waste into the marine environment, necessitating a shift from conventional beach clean-up drives to a comprehensive catchment-to-coast management strategy.
The workshop was inaugurated by Coast Guard Deputy Inspector General S K Verghese in the presence of FSI Deputy Director General Mahesh Kumar Farejiya, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) Director Kishor Rithe, National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) scientist Soniya Sukumaran, FSI scientist Manas Kumar Sinha and representatives from several research institutions, including ICAR-CIFT, ICAR-CMFRI and IITs.
According to data presented at the workshop, major river systems such as the Ganga-Brahmaputra and Indus are among the largest contributors to marine plastic pollution, with the Ganga alone estimated to discharge around 1,20,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually into the marine ecosystem.
The data said that nearly 46 per cent of the country’s annual marine litter load is flushed into the sea during the rainy season.
As India’s nodal agency for the Global Litter Project of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the FSI has retrieved 23 tonnes of abandoned fishing gear, commonly known as “ghost gear”, from depths of up to 500 metres over the past three years, officials said.
Scientists from the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) also showcased “Jeevsutra”, a biodegradable fishing yarn developed as an alternative to synthetic fishing materials, aimed at reducing marine pollution while remaining affordable for artisanal fishers, the release said.
“The monsoon converts local waste into a national marine pollution problem by flushing accumulated debris from cities and catchments into the sea,” BNHS scientist Unmesh Katwate said.
Participants stressed the need for a national marine litter policy, enhanced river-basin management measures, and deployment of waste interception technologies such as trash booms in major rivers and drainage channels to prevent litter from reaching the sea.
Separate findings presented during the workshop indicated that Maharashtra’s coastline experiences a significant rise in marine litter during the monsoon season, with urban consumer plastics accounting for nearly 85.9 per cent of coastal debris.
A year-long survey of 10 beaches in Maharashtra found that litter accumulation peaks during the monsoon, with Mumbai’s Versova and Juhu beaches classified as “Extremely Dirty” under the Coastal Cleanliness Index assessment.
Scientists also warned that marine debris is affecting coastal biodiversity. NIO scientist Sabyasachi Sautya said 9.21 per cent of live coral colonies off the Mumbai coast were found to be in direct contact with marine debris, causing tissue damage and habitat degradation.
To address the issue, FSI and CIFT have proposed setting up Marine Litter Recycling Hubs in coastal locations such as Dahanu, Versova and Ratnagiri. The initiative aims to incentivise fishers to collect marine litter by offering payments of Rs 40-50 per kilogram of recovered waste, the release said.
The workshop also featured a demonstration of “Arnavrakshadvāram”, described by organisers as India’s first geo-referenced web portal for real-time monitoring of marine debris hotspots, it said.
Experts said the combination of source-level waste interception, recycling infrastructure and digital monitoring would be crucial to reducing the growing burden of marine litter along India’s coastline. PTI MR NR
