Navi Mumbai: Over a hundred citizens walked through the mangrove forests of Navi Mumbai on Sunday morning for the 300th week of one of the longest-running conservation movements in the state.
The volunteers
removed around 1,500 kg (1.5 tonnes) of garbage choking the aerial roots of the trees. It is estimated that more than 1.25 lakh volunteers, organised by the Environment Life Foundation (ELF), have cleared over 1,200 tonnes of waste from the tidal forests of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Raigad.
The clean-up project began during the COVID-19 lockdown on August 15, 2020, as a small environmental initiative by three concerned citizens. Dharmesh Barai, Shriram Shankar and Rohan Bhosale witnessed marine crabs trapped in plastic waste near Nerul jetty. Disturbed by the sight, the trio began cleaning the mangroves at Karave Jetty — a mission that has continued every Sunday without interruption.
Dubbed the “Mangrove Soldiers”, volunteers dedicate three hours every weekend to clearing embedded waste from fragile coastal ecosystems. Over the years, they have removed discarded sofas, mattresses, footwear, clothing, medical waste and large quantities of plastic from mangrove belts. During the landmark 300th-week drive, volunteers filled an entire truckload with non-biodegradable waste collected from the site.
The event drew support from civic officials, environmental activists and social workers. Prashant Nerkar, Assistant Commissioner of Belapur Ward at the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), praised the group’s consistency and urged citizens to support cleanliness initiatives across the city.
Among the special guests was Pune-based river conservationist Swapnil Thakur, known as the “One-Man Band for Rivers”, who performed songs promoting river and marine conservation. Actor and television host Freishia B, co-founder of Carter Cleanup, also joined the drive and stressed the importance of sustainable waste management and recycling systems.
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Addressing the gathering, ELF founder Dharmesh Barai said the milestone symbolised “emotion, relentless hard work and commitment”. He appealed to citizens to dedicate at least two hours of voluntary labour towards environmental protection.
The foundation also acknowledged the support of the NMMC, the Mangrove Foundation and thousands of volunteers who have contributed to preserving Maharashtra’s coastal ecosystems under the spirit of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
“The deputy commissioner himself collected around four bags of trash and he was shocked after seeing the situation,” said Barai. “Recently, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board chairman Siddhesh Kadam took the initiative to install trash barriers. While we hope these measures will reduce the amount of trash flowing into the mangroves, the only way to completely eradicate the problem is by stopping people from throwing garbage in the open. We really need a strictly monitored penalty system to stop this habit,” said Barai.
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