The Dadar Beach Clean up that was initiated by Dadar resident Jay Shringarpure recently completed its 150 weeks. It all started in March 2017 when Shringarpure's daughter wanted to play on the beach as it was only a stone throw away from their house. Due to their daily chores, they never really visited the beach but on March 31, 2017, when his daughter was unable to play on the beach as it was filled with garbage, he knew he had to do something.
The very next day, on April 1, 2017, the father-daughter duo started cleaning the beach along with some BMC workers. On the first day itself, they collected one tonne of garbage from the beach. Talking about how this initiative became citizen-driven, Jay Shringarpure said,
"One of my friends suggested to me to put this up on social media sites like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. I was shocked when people actually started pouring in their support. Along with citizens, college students, corporates and other non-profits started helping me in the initiative. The journey has now completed 150 weeks and I wouldn't yet say that the Dadar beach is serene but it is much beautiful as compared to before".
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Talking about the major cause and the solution to this garbage, he further said,
"It is not that people come at Dadar beach and throw the garbage, the source of it is Mithi river. When we approached the BMC, they said that they have proposed for a project to put up meshes i.e. huge nets to accumulate this garbage. However, the project yet has to get its approval. I certainly believe that this is a great solution to the problem."
Jay Shringarpure Jay Shringarpure did not just stop at beach clean-ups, he has initiated varied activities with regards to making the beach a tourist spot. Talking about the same, he said,
"We realised that the problem is not solved just with clean-ups, people need to be made aware about the use of plastic and there needs to be an urgent call to action. We have started awareness campaigns about plastic pollution in colleges, schools, corporates etc. Moreover, Merchant Navy has sponsored a tempo which collects plastic waste from the areas of Mahim, Dadar and Matunga. This waste is then taken to BMCs segregation centre in Wadala. After the segregation, it is sent to different vendors to make granules which are then recycled for varied purposes. Banning plastic is not the solution, recycling the plastic efficiently is. Along with cleanliness, the safety of the beach is also an important factor. Therefore, by the end of the month, we will be putting solar lights on the beach which is sponsored by Bajaj Electricals Foundations. These lights will ensure that there will be no illegal activities on the beach at night. To leave no stone unturned, there will be CCTV cameras installed which will directly be connected to Shivaji Park Police Station. For beautification of the beach, we have painted the side walls as well."
Also Read: Thanks to the Mahim Beach cleanup drive, migratory birds are making a comeback
On asking about people's response to his initiative, Shringarpure concluded,
"People always ask me that the sea is always going to throw plastic, till when will you clean it? To which I always answer that even our houses keep on getting dirty every day, but we don't give up on that, right? For me, Dadar beach is also my house and I will always ensure that it's clean."
Current picture of Dadar Beach 
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