Naval personnel here Saturday turned eco warriors by cleaning up the 2.5-km-long 'Backbay' channel to rid it of plastic and other nonbiodegradable waste.
A team of 300-400 naval personnel of the INS Venduruthy Base under Southern Naval Command (SNC) led by Vice-Admiral A K Chawla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-inC), launched the drive at the channel, also known as 'Venduruthy' channel.
A considerable amount of plastic waste had accumulated in the channel over the years thereby depleting mangroves and affecting the local flora and fauna, a Defence release said.
The channel connects the Kollam-Kottapuram channel, and runs along the western side of the naval residential enclave of Katari Bagh.
Local councillor Shakritha Suresh Babu was also present at the clean-up programme during which four truckloads of non-biodegradable waste were removed from the channel, it said.
The anti-plastic endeavour coincides with the platinum jubilee year of INS Venduruthy, which is also the oldest naval base of the country.
The base has taken various initiatives to clean the channel on a regular basis and to also plant Vetiver' (also known as 'ramacham' in Malayalam) saplings that can prevent soil erosion and restore the natural ecosystem.
Besides, sustainable in-house solutions have been implemented to keep the naval base and Katari Bagh clean and green, the release said.
As part of the jubilee celebration, INS Venduruthy is also carrying out various outreach activities including helping residents of Vathuruthy village, majority of whom are migrant labourers, and awareness campaigns on garbage disposal.
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