Gujarat has the longest coastline in the country and it is important for this coastline to be clean and well-maintained to welcome guests. However, as in the case of other attractive tourist destinations, holidays and other vacation times see a continuous flow of tourists to Dandi who are keen to see the Gandhi memorial and enjoy the serene beaches. Garbage left behind by them is an issue that is being addressed effectively.
Dandi village community and its panchayat leaders take it upon themselves to clean the sea banks regularly. They have formed committees that have a large representation of women within the village to carry out cleanliness initiatives in and around the village and around important locations, their efforts relentless to keep their seafront clean.
Others who join the village communities in such cleaning drives are representatives of various organizations, religious institutions, and NGOs who support the cleanliness of the Dandi Sea coast. During a typical beach cleaning drive, people work throughout the day, and at night when the tide brings debris from other places, it is gathered along with other garbage and disposed of appropriately.
The people of Dandi take pride in keeping their coastal areas clean as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
Inputs: Ms. Himani, SBM-G IEC, Gujarat
Swachh Bharat (Grameen) 