A video from Mumbai showing a beach-cleaning drive at one of the city’s most popular spots has sparked an online debate about civic behaviour. The clip features Juhu Beach being cleaned by a machine, removing
garbage.
While the visuals impressed many, they also raised questions about why such large-scale clean-up efforts are needed in the first place.
Beach Cleaning Machine At Mumbai’s Juhu Beach
The video opens with a man introducing the cleaning process, asking, “How do Juhu Beach gets cleaned?” The clip features a beach-cleaning machine equipped with rotating drums that sift through sand to collect waste lying beneath the surface.
Explaining its function, he says, “Everyday ye tractor ko ghumate hai aur jitne bhi niche kachra hai, chan-chanke ye jo dustbin hai piche, esme ajayega (Every day this tractor is driven around, and whatever garbage is beneath the sand gets sifted and collected into the dustbin at the back).”
The caption accompanying the video reads, “What is stopping authorities from putting these machines to clean beaches of India on daily basis? Here is one such example from Mumbai Juhu Beach.”
Watch The Clip Here
What is stopping authorities from putting these machines to clean beaches of India on daily basis?
Here is one such example from Mumbai Juhu Beach. pic.twitter.com/hR8nVX3uLJ
— Woke Eminent (@WokePandemic) January 26, 2026
Civic Sense Takes Centre Stage Online
While the machine drew attention, the larger conversation online focused on public responsibility. Many users pointed out that such equipment should ideally not be required if people followed basic civic sense and disposed of waste responsibly.
One user commented, “What’s stopping people from not leaving their garbage behind? Is it really that hard to bring a spare bag to put your trash in and take it back with you for disposal?”
Another wrote, “What is stopping Indians in general to NOT treat the whole beach as a garbage dump. Educate people, cleanliness is a society problem, from individuals to government. In western world there are no major cleaning drives, citizens and people keep it clean. It starts with you.”
“What’s stopping everyone to throw garbage in dustbin? This machine is good but why can’t people learn civic sense,” someone else remarked.
“The FIRST priority should be to teach civic sense to the public and introduce penalties for the offenders,” a person wrote while an individual questioned, “What’s stopping people from not littering?”
“Why should anyone litter in the first place. We need to start there,” read another comment.
Are These Machines Used Elsewhere In India?
The original post suggested limited usage of these machines, but several users stepped in to correct the claim. One of them commented, “Chennai doing for a decade plus,” while another added, “Chennai has procured these machines newly for the beaches and even outsourced maintenance of the beaches to a private player.”
The discussion went further when one user asked chatbot Grok to clarify the matter. Grok responded, “Beach cleaning machines like the one in the video are used in India, including at Mumbai’s Juhu Beach. BMC deploys them regularly—often morning and evening—to handle 150 tonnes of daily garbage. Challenges include high costs, maintenance, and constant littering. Efforts are ongoing to expand with new procurements.”
Beach cleaning machines like the one in the video are used in India, including at Mumbai's Juhu Beach. BMC deploys them regularly—often morning and evening—to handle 150 tonnes of daily garbage. Challenges include high costs, maintenance, and constant littering. Efforts are…
— Grok (@grok) January 26, 2026
What Exactly Are Beach-Cleaning Machines?
Beach-cleaning machines are mechanical systems designed to remove waste such as plastic, debris and seaweed from sandy areas. In India, machines from manufacturers like Barber, Gamzen and Pamtec are commonly used at popular tourist beaches.
These machines operate using raking, sifting or hybrid mechanisms and are often tractor-powered for large stretches, while smaller walk-behind models are used in confined zones. Such machines are currently deployed in locations including Mumbai’s Juhu Beach, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam and Mahabalipuram.
