Chennai: About 2,000 water packets and unbranded single-use cups are littered on the coastal stretch of Chennai each day and they account for the maximum non-bio degradable litter after plastic bags among others, including bottle caps, toothbrushes, straws and pet bottles, according to an audit by Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG) in collaboration with Chennai Trekking club (CTC).
After the annual beach cleanup held on June 18 from Marina to Akkarai, they had collected samples to perform a brand audit. According to the report, there were a total of 1,829 pieces of multi-laminate plastics, of which the Lighthouse zone (between the Chennai Lighthouse and St Bede’s High School) had the highest number of pieces (702 pieces). The Broken Bridge stretch of Elliot’s Beach (352 pieces) was second.
The waste audit revealed that carry bags accounted for 63 per cent of the total weight of the waste. The top five product types were water packets (35 per cent), beverage cups (22.5 per cent), bottles and bottle caps (17.4 per cent), toothbrushes (10 per cent) and straws, spoons and forks (9 per cent).
“Recreational activities by visitors along the Marina and Elliot’s Beach account to most of the wastes seen on the land-side of the beaches. There are currently an inadequate number of dumpsters for collecting the waste generated along the seashore. The dumpsters now deployed along the seashore are improperly placed,” said Satyarupa Shekhar, CAG.
She further added that the increased number of bottles and cups are due to the roadside eateries that provide a cheap meal at the shore. While Besant Nagar beach had the maximum amount of plastic litter after Lighthouse, high amounts of party food wastes including ice creams and junk food were found at Akkarai and Injambakkam, according to the audit report.
Wastes disposed of by residents along rivers Cooum and Adyar are the major source for floatable plastic wastes entering into the ocean. The reason in the report was a heavy flow of water during monsoon season in the upstream of the river (Cooum and Adyar river), large quantities of floatable plastic waste get mixed up with the ocean.
ZONES involved in audit
ZONE NAME LENGTH
Lighthouse to Santhome 1 km
Santhome to Foreshore Estate 1.2 km
Foreshore Estates to Broken Bridge 6.5 km
Broken Bridge to Besant Nagar Beach 1.5 km
Besant Nagar Beach to Thiruvanmiyur 4.2 km
Thiruvanmiyur Beach to Kottivakkam 0.9 km
Kottivakkam Beach to Neelangarai 1.8 km
Neelangarai Beach to Injambakkam 4.4 km
Injambakkam Beach to Akkarai 2.9 km
Akkarai Beach to Uthandi Beach 4.7 km
