Puri Beach Turns Green Battleground in Odisha’s Fight Against Plastic Waste

Mega Awareness Campaign Draws Over 25,000 Participants Across Four Districts

Desk, Odishabarta

PURI: A mega awareness campaign aimed at eliminating single-use plastics was organised at Puri Sea Beach and in Baripada, Kendrapada and Koraput under Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), drawing more than 25,000 participants.

The campaign was spearheaded by the EIACP Hub at the Centre for Environmental Studies (CES) under the Forest, Environment & Climate Change Department, Government of Odisha, in collaboration with WWF EIACP PC-RP, New Delhi, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change.

Under the guidance of Dr. K. Murugesan, Director, CES, the campaign focused on tourists, students and local residents, with special emphasis on preventing plastic waste from entering the environment at its source.

A dedicated ‘Awareness Rath’ travelled through beachfront and public areas to spread messages on plastic reduction. Awareness stalls showcased sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic products, while quizzes and drawing competitions were organised to engage schoolchildren and youth in environmental protection.

A selfie booth also became a major attraction, where visitors took the Mission LiFE Green Pledge, committing themselves to reducing single-use plastics, practising waste segregation and conserving natural resources.

Technology Tracks Plastic Movement

The campaign also highlighted scientific efforts to understand the movement of plastic waste through the Mahanadi river system.

Organisers showcased empirical data from a joint WWF-India and Automation Anywhere initiative that uses satellite remote sensing, Sentinel-2 imagery and machine-learning technology to map the movement of plastic litter from the Mahanadi’s source in Chhattisgarh to the Odisha coast.

The newly developed Mahanadi Litter Detection Dashboard identifies areas of marine debris accumulation and is intended to provide useful information to municipal bodies and pollution-control authorities for planning targeted clean-up operations.

The campaign concluded with an appeal to citizens to reduce, refuse and responsibly dispose of single-use plastic items, including bottles, wrappers and carry bags, to help protect the fragile marine ecosystem of the Mahanadi delta and the Puri coastline.