Keeping Our Beaches and Lakes Clean

Cleanliness has always been very close to my heart. For me, it’s not just about keeping a neat home or a tidy school campus—it’s about showing respect for our city, our environment, and the generations who will walk these same shores after us.

Every time I walk along Chennai’s beaches or pass by our lakes, I feel both joy and pain. Joy, because they are treasures of beauty, life, and memories. Pain, because so often I see plastic bottles, covers, and waste scattered on the sand or floating in the water. It makes me wonder—if nature has given us so much, why do we give back carelessness?

At St. Britto’s, I’ve seen how powerful it is when young people step in. When students join hands with NGOs for beach clean-up drives, the experience changes them. I still remember watching their faces as they collected bag after bag of waste—it was a mix of shock and pride. Shock at how much litter we humans leave behind. Pride, because they realized they were making a real difference that very moment.

For me, these drives are not just about cleaning sand. They are about planting seeds of responsibility. Through videos, street plays, and handouts, our children have reached out to vendors and visitors, reminding them gently that one small act—like using a dustbin or refusing a plastic bag—can save marine life.

I truly believe this is not just the responsibility of organizations or schools. It starts with each of us. I carry my own trash bag when I go out. I’ve slowly shifted to cloth bags. And yes, I bend down and pick up waste if I see it lying on the shore—even if it isn’t mine. Because the sea belongs to all of us, and so does the responsibility.

We also draw inspiration from people like Arun Krishnamurthy, whose determination has restored lakes across India. And we are reminded of the urgency when we read stories of a whale that died with over 1,000 pieces of plastic in its stomach. These are wake-up calls we cannot ignore.

Cleaning our beaches and lakes is not a one-time activity—it is a habit, a promise, a way of life. When families, schools, and communities come together, we can truly make Chennai a model city of cleanliness and sustainability.

For me, this is deeply personal. Because when I protect my environment, I feel I am protecting my children’s future—and all our futures. And that is a responsibility I will never take lightly.