Malhar Kalambe recieved an award by United Nations for cleaning the Dadar Beach.
On September 10, 2017, Malhar, a resident of Dadar, along with his friends, marched up to Mumbai's Dadar beach to collect the garbage thrown by the visitors. What started as a weekend activity gradually turned into a full-fledged cleanup movement engaging over 20,000 Mumbaikars.
Malhar is the founder of 'Beach Please,' an initiative started to remove trash from Dadar beach in Mumbai through weekly cleanup drives.
I have lived in the city for two decades. I have realised that the power to make a city better or worse lies with us. We cannot keep blaming the government authorities. It was during the Ganesh Visarjan when I saw how people are destroying the water bodies without giving any thought. I wanted to bring a change and that is how Beach Please was born, the 21-year-old tells The Better India (TBI).
While this might be a huge commitment for most of us, for Malhar, it is a mission that is difficult but possible. The promise to work harder comes after he received the V-Award, an initiative by the United Nations Volunteers India. The award, supported by UNICEF, aims to celebrate young people, who are making the world a better place for all through their acts of volunteerism every day and everywhere.
It has been 87 weeks since the cleanup drive began and so far, close to 1000 tonnes of waste like plastic, stale food and religious offerings have been cleared from the beach.
Seeing his efforts, commitment and passion for an environmental cause, the UN felicitated him in Delhi on the International Volunteer Day (December 5, 2018) at a three-day event hosted at the UN Headquarters.
"This is the first award I have ever received, so it is very special for me. This award is a reminder that there is a lot to be done, and my cause is not limited to a beach. I am humbled and overjoyed to get recognition from such a prestigious organisation," he says.
Along with giving him the award, the UN authorities also conducted a workshop on ways to expand the movement and involve more people.
Just a week before Malhar received the award, he launched his second mission of cleaning the Mithi river near the Mahim causeway. He hopes to engage the youth in the river cleanup.
Malhar is the founder of 'Beach Please,' an initiative started to remove trash from Dadar beach in Mumbai through weekly cleanup drives.
I have lived in the city for two decades. I have realised that the power to make a city better or worse lies with us. We cannot keep blaming the government authorities. It was during the Ganesh Visarjan when I saw how people are destroying the water bodies without giving any thought. I wanted to bring a change and that is how Beach Please was born, the 21-year-old tells The Better India (TBI).
While this might be a huge commitment for most of us, for Malhar, it is a mission that is difficult but possible. The promise to work harder comes after he received the V-Award, an initiative by the United Nations Volunteers India. The award, supported by UNICEF, aims to celebrate young people, who are making the world a better place for all through their acts of volunteerism every day and everywhere.
It has been 87 weeks since the cleanup drive began and so far, close to 1000 tonnes of waste like plastic, stale food and religious offerings have been cleared from the beach.
Seeing his efforts, commitment and passion for an environmental cause, the UN felicitated him in Delhi on the International Volunteer Day (December 5, 2018) at a three-day event hosted at the UN Headquarters.
"This is the first award I have ever received, so it is very special for me. This award is a reminder that there is a lot to be done, and my cause is not limited to a beach. I am humbled and overjoyed to get recognition from such a prestigious organisation," he says.
Along with giving him the award, the UN authorities also conducted a workshop on ways to expand the movement and involve more people.
Just a week before Malhar received the award, he launched his second mission of cleaning the Mithi river near the Mahim causeway. He hopes to engage the youth in the river cleanup.