The teams from J M Baxi’s Visakha Container Terminal and the Container Freight Station recently joined a Mega Beach Cleaning Campaign led by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) and internationally renowned NGO Parley for the Oceans. The drive took place from 6 AM to 8 AM in the morning, consisting of a record number of 22,000 volunteers, picking up plastic across a 28 kilometre stretch. The drive collected 76 tonnes of plastic waste and trash, overshadowing Israel’s October 30, 2020 massive drive in which 18,000 people picked up 62 tonnes of garbage from beaches on the Mediterranean coast, the Sea of Galilee and the Red Sea. Sanitary gloves, T-shirts, drinking water facilities and trash bags were provided to the volunteers by the civic body, while medical teams were also on standby for any emergencies. The waste was segregated and handed over to the GVMC representatives for further processing.
Speaking on the drive, Anil Narayanan, the terminal head for Visakha Container Terminal and CFS said, “It was a privilege for us at J M Baxi, to be part of a mega drive that promotes action amongst stakeholders. Our businesses are centered around water bodies and that is where our teams can start making a big difference. Apart from that, it was a great feeling to be part of a communal activity where people from various backgrounds have come together for a cause.
The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and GVMC Commissioner G. Lakshmisha post the beach clean-up, visited the Andhra University Convention Centre where the State government and Parley for the Ocean signed an MOU to set up a plastic recycling plant in Visakhapatnam.
Parley for the Oceans is a US-based international NGO with global alliances aiming to end marine plastic pollution. The NGO is known for collaborating with international brand Adidas in the launch of a range of shoes made from reclaimed marine plastic waste.
