“Not all heroes wear capes, some wear gloves and clean the beach”.

On the bright morning of 28th May 2023, Girgaon Chowpatty witnessed the efforts of such heroes who took upon themselves to clean the trash from the beach. In order to do their bit for the environment, the Khudabadi Amil Panchayat of Bombay and Young Amil Circle (YAC) had organised a Beach Cleanup Drive at the aforementioned venue.

This environmentally conscious initiative had the participation of numerous responsible citizens across age groups who, with assistance from the youth NGO - Change is Us (CIU), collected trash weighing approximately 610 kgs trapped in the sand.

Receiving a great response, it was proven to be a success by the enthusiasm displayed by the ones involved in organising the drive. Their love and concern for the environment were evident through their efforts put in for bringing this event to life.

KAP Vice President - Mr. Chandrabhan Ramchandani alongwith Committee members Mrs. Laveena Shahani, Mrs. Nikita Advani, Mr. Pradeep Gidwani, Mr. Devesh Makhijani and Hon. Jt. Secretary Ms. Rashmi Mirchandani were present to support the young Amil leaders and they lauded their efforts undertaken to save the environment. The YAC Committee also received addulation of the KAP President, Dr. Indu Shahani, for their successful event.

YAC Convener Devesh Makhijani said, "Culture does in fact evolve from nature. Today's beach clean-up drive symbolises our unwavering commitment to preserving our natural environment. Together, we forge a path towards a cleaner, greener future. Let this event, driven by the youth, inspire greater awareness and join us in creating a sustainable world where nature thrives".

"Only one thing remains constant and that's change! At YAC, with this initiative, we're happy to bring about a small positive change, a change in the attitude of the people by encouraging the youth to participate and raise awareness towards sustainability. We're always keen to work towards the betterment of the society by organising such events and initiatives. I'd like to personally thank the ever enthusiastic YAC team, all participants, CIU & the local authorities for all the support and making this clean-up happen", Rohit Thadhani, the President of YAC was quoted saying.

Sidharth Makhijani, the Vice-President of YAC added, "I am elated to be at the forefront of this initiative to save the ocean ecosystem and bring people face to face with the reality of plastic pollution. Every step counts and makes an impact. We are happy to see such great participation from people. It is our first drive and we look forward to more such initiatives to make our planet a better place".

"I am extremely grateful to be a part of YAC where I get an opportunity to give my share of help to the society. They always say that when you do good deeds you get good in return. Taking lead for this beach clean up drive was an amazing opportunity for me at YAC and I will continue to do such events which will not only encourage the youth to be responsible for their actions but in turn also make our community bigger and stronger. Looking forward to many more events like these’’, added Raahuul Advani, Secretary of YAC.

"Enthused to have spearheaded the beach-cleanup drive this morning. Together, we transformed our beach, one step at a time. Let this be a testament to the power of passion and collective action. We are the change-makers, committed to preserving our shores and inspiring others to join us. Our generation is ready to make waves for a better tomorrow", Leisha Mansukhani, YAC Committee member, shared her experience of co-leading the initiative.

This Beach Cleanup Drive spearheaded by YAC aiming to divert a huge amount of trash from entering the Arabian Sea, thereby preventing any harm to the marine ecosystem, was indeed triumphant. The team looks forward to organising many more such social initiatives through the course of the year.