Mumbai: As many as 1850 young volunteers from Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG) and Swachha Vasundhara Abhiyaan from Pune, Mumbai and other cities joined hands on International Coastal Clean up Day to take a vow to protect and preserve Mumbai’s vital mangrove ecosystems, stated a press release.

The drive was held at Carter Road Beach in Mumbai. The drive highlighted the crucial role of mangroves in combating climate change and preserving biodiversity.

Terence Lewis, renowned Bollywood choreographer, urged the young volunteers to actively take care of the earth. He said, “We don’t realise what the problem is but since you’ve participated in this drive today, you would have come to know how much plastic is used and thrown, especially single-use plastics. It will be great for the next generation to take care of the planet Earth. The future lies with you.”

Poonam Soni, founder of a global luxury brand congratulated the volunteers and organizations for their efforts and said that through this initiative, they were securing “our future, our environment and our earth.”

Vishesh Gupta, Chairperson of Bharat Soka Gakkai emphasised that cleaning beaches was not just about removing trash, “it’s about resetting our relationship with the environment and making a conscious effort to adopt sustainable habits,” he said.