ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
Bhubaneswar: Odisha, with its 480km stretch of coastline along the Bay of Bengal, is home to India’s most ecologically and economically significant coastal zones. Spanning six districts—Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, and Ganjam—the state’s shores support diverse marine life, including the endangered Olive Ridley turtles, and sustain thousands of livelihoods through fishing, agriculture, and tourism.
The vital beaches face growing environmental stress from plastic waste, urban runoff, untreated sewage, and industrial pollutants, which threaten not only biodiversity but also the beauty and economy of Puri, Konark, Gopalpur, and Chandipur beaches. “Plastic and non-biodegradable waste scattered along the beach is a major problem.
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It pollutes the marine ecosystem and endangers marine animals and birds,” said Bapi Gochhayat, a well-known local crusader and daily beach cleaner from Paradip. Saddened by the condition of Paradip beach, Bapi took a personal vow four years ago to clean it every day. Since then, he has collected and handed over nearly five tons of plastic waste to the municipality. “On weekends, I also use placards and sand art to raise awareness among tourists and children,” he added. Environmental expert Ranjan Panda warns that beach cleanups must not be treated as one-time photo-ops. “It’s good to clean up our beaches, but these drives should be more educational,” he said. “Unless we work to change behaviour and understand the home-to-sea concept, cleanup drives will only havea temporary impact. Much of the litter comes from our own homes via rivers and drains.” Satyabrata Samal, founder of the Saatvic Soul Foundation shared his opinion and said, “Our team organises regular cleanups at Puri, Berhampur, and Paradip beaches, collecting 30 to 40 kg of waste each time. It’s our collective duty to preserve these beaches.” Recognising the urgency, the state government will observe the International Coastal Cleanup Day today with a statewide beach cleaning campaign across 14 coastal locations, announced Forest, Environment and Climate Change department Additional Chief Secretary Satyabrat Sahu.