Clean-up drive at Fort Kochi

KOCHI: The Kitelife Foundation and the Indian Coastguard jointly cleaned up    Fort Kochi and nearby area as part of the International Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday. Various self-help groups, including Kudumbashree units and school students,   took part in the cleaning drive. Apart from Fort Kochi beach, the volunteers cleaned up the long stretch from Fort Kochi Veli to Dutch cemetery.T K Ashraf, health standing committee chairman, Kochi Corporation,  inaugurated the drive. Coast Guard DIG (Kerala & Mahe) Satish Chandran spoke  about the importance of coastal clean up. Kite Life Foundation president Rajesh Nair and councillor Antony Kureethara spoke.“International Coastal Cleanup has become the world’s largest volunteer effort for ocean health. Nearly nine million volunteers from 152 countries and locations have cleaned 145 million pounds of trash from the shores of lakes, streams, rivers, and the ocean on just one day each year,”said Rajesh Nair“The main feature of the drive is that the volunteers record every item found during the clean up giving us a clear picture of the items that has an impact on the health of humans, wildlife, and economies, “Nair said.