Ocean Love teaches to fight against pollution
Children from coastal areas made aware of ill effects of waste dumping.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After India's first undersea CEO conference to highlight global warming and to protect marine wealth early this month, the city-based campaigners, Ocean Love, conducted a marine pollution awareness drive for tiny tots on Saturday. Around a hundred children, particularly those residing along the coasts, were made aware of the ill effects of waste reaching the ocean during the programme held on the Earth Day at Uday Samudra Beach Hotel, Kovalam. The volunteers narrated moving stories of marine creatures being physically hurt by plastic with the help of cartoons and interactive videos. \
“Children should refuse to go out for shopping unless parents give them cloth bags. Also, ensure that you and your parents return the cloth bag and keep it in the same place in the house. We, adults, are sinners. Our only hope is in children,” said M Vincent, the local legislator. A scuba divers' group also gave lessons on marine biodiversity, coral reef ecosystem, and vastness of the ocean. The speakers included Udaya Samudra Group CEO, Raja Gopal Iyer. Litterbase, an online portal on marine litter, had recently collated 1,237 study reports which revealed the Kerala coastline was one of the most polluted globally.