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1sqkm of Kovalam beach spews 60kg plastic

Chennai: The state might have imposed a blanket ban on single use plastic , but going by data recorded by city scientists, it looks like the toxic material has crawled back into use again. More than 60% of the nearly 100kg garbage collected during a coastal clean-up at Kovalam was plastic. Scientists from the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), who were involved in the clean-up, said most of the waste was dumped by tourists and local resorts, while a portion of it could have washed ashore.



NCCR scientist Pravakar Mishra said in the clean-up done on a 1sqkm area, nearly 25kg of the 60kg of plastic waste, were cups . “During our awareness programmes, fishermen said they have been noticing microplastics in the gut of the fishes they bring to the coast,” he said, and added that a research is underway to study microplastics in marine organisms.

Besides plastic cups, which is in the list of banned plastic items, the 80 volunteers including 25 NSS students from Presidency College collected spoons, nylon ropes, bottle caps and straws . The rest were non-plastic items such as broken glass bottles, sharp metallic objects. “Most of it are waste left by tourists, while liquor bottles and cups were those dumped by resorts nearby,” Mishra said.

Scientists said the quantity of plastic found on the coast is more between January and March, as a garbage filled Buckingham Canal gets flooded and pushes the waste to the sea post monsoon.

NCCR is involved in collecting data across the Indian coast to help the government frame National Marine Litter Policy, that can regulate and curb disposal of waste in the sea. Starting July 25, a team of NCCR scientists will begin a voyage across the Indian coast onboard research vessel Sagar Manjusha to collect data including from the coasts of TN, AP and Orissa.

“We will collect water and sediment sample from the coast up to 10km in the sea, near estuaries and study the presence of plastics. We will also quantify the debris settled on the seabed and those floating around,” Mishra said. In September, the team is planning to conduct similar clean-up in nearly 40 beaches across the country.

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