2 weeks ago
Navi Mumbai Mangrove Clean-Up Removes 1,300 Tonnes of Waste
Mangroves are special trees that grow near the sea and act like a nursery for many sea animals.
For the past six years, a group called the Environment Life Foundation has been leading volunteers to clean up mangrove and coastal areas.
More than 130,000 volunteers have worked together to remove over 1,300 tonnes of rubbish.
Most of the rubbish is plastic, foam, old shoes and packaging that people throw away.
This waste flows through drains from homes and slums into the sea, where it gets trapped in the mangroves.
The volunteers clean the areas so that animals, plants and marine life can live there safely again.
The latest clean-up happened on Independence Day, August 15, 2026, at Karave Jetty in Navi Mumbai.
The foundation's founder, Dharmesh Barai, says finishing six years of cleaning is not a celebration but a sad reminder that waste keeps coming.
He hopes that one day the mangroves will be so clean that nobody has to clean them every Sunday.
Over 1,300 tonnes of plastic, thermocol, footwear and packaging waste has been removed from mangrove and coastal areas in six years.
More than 1.30 lakh volunteers and citizens have joined the Environment Life Foundation's clean-up campaign since August 15, 2020.
The latest Independence Day clean-up drive was held at Karave Jetty in Navi Mumbai on August 15, 2026.
Founder Dharmesh Barai called the six-year milestone a concern rather than a celebration because the influx of waste has not reduced.
The foundation says the sustained efforts have restored natural habitats for marine life and improved the local coastal ecosystem.
- Who
- Environment Life Foundation founder Dharmesh Barai, over 1.30 lakh volunteers, students, social organisations and local residents
- What
- A six-year mangrove and coastal clean-up campaign that removed over 1,300 tonnes of waste
- Where
- Karave Jetty and mangrove and coastal areas in Navi Mumbai
- When
- Campaign began August 15, 2020; the latest drive was held on August 15, 2026 (Independence Day)
- Why
- To restore natural habitats for marine life and improve the coastal ecosystem, as household plastic waste keeps flowing through drains into the sea and mangroves
Key facts
- Waste removed
- Over 1,300 tonnes
- Volunteers mobilised
- Over 1.30 lakh (130,000)
- Campaign start
- August 15, 2020 at Karave Jetty
- Latest drive
- August 15, 2026 (Independence Day)
- Location
- Karave Jetty, Navi Mumbai
- Waste types
- Plastic, thermocol, footwear, packaging material
- Organisation
- Environment Life Foundation
- Founder
- Dharmesh Barai
Quotes
Dharmesh Barai
Founder of the Environment Life Foundation
“"Residents of Mumbai and neighbouring areas must ponder why our seas remain polluted. As the nation steps into its 80th year of independence, our natural elements — water, land, air, fire and space — remain trapped in pollution. True freedom will only be achieved when our planet and mute creatures are free from pollution,"”
freepressjournal.in
“"Completing six years of clearing waste from mangroves is not a celebration, but a matter of grief and deep self-reflection. Despite years of effort, the influx of waste has not reduced. Our ultimate goal is to reach a point where we don't have to clean every Sunday,"”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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