As the world’s most populous nation as of 2023, India will play a vital role in the survival of our planet’s oceans. With a coastline stretching over 7,500km from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal, it’s a key pillar of the Indian Ocean ecosystem and economy. Alongside Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Seychelles, India is also a crucial part Parley’s wider vision for South Asia.
A BLUEPRINT FOR CHANGE
In August 2022, Parley for the Oceans and the Government of Andhra Pradesh celebrated the official launch of Parley India with one of the largest coastline cleanups the world has ever seen. Thousands of volunteers from all walks of life joined the massive beach cleanup along the coast of Visakhapatnam – a group effort spanning 28km of shoreline, 14 beaches and eight fishing villages. From local fishers and students to the army and government officials, everyone pitched in to intercept plastic waste and fishing gear and highlight the scale of the problem.
Over the course of the day, over 76 tonnes of plastic was collected from an area stretching from Gokul beach to Bheemli beach. Parley founder Cyrill Gutsch, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and other government dignitaries toured the cleanup site then officially launched Parley India with a ceremony and waste weighing event, highlighting the work of thousands of volunteers.
As the Honorable Chief Minister explains, “as a state with a population of 52 million people and a coastline of 976 km, to witness this first-of-its-kind initiative on a massive scale has never been achieved by anyone in the world. Though this project is ambitious, we will work together to ensure that the face of Andhra Pradesh and the landscape of the state will change in a positive way.”
Beyond expanding on Parley’s regional work in South Asia, the epic event marked an ambitious first step for the government of Andhra Pradesh, who are pledging, with our support, to make the India state free of plastic waste by 2027 – the first state in the country to undertake such an ambitious goal.
SUPPORT OUR WORK IN INDIA
Your support helps us tackle plastic pollution and other threats facing the oceans. All donations go directly to our global teams, helping to fund cleanups, education and infrastructure projects.
Thank You to ALL our Collaborators IN INDIA
GVMC
VMRDA
Indian Navy
Seashell Adventures
Association of People Power
Yendada Athletics Welfare Association
OceaNOplastic
Lonely Surfers
Platypus Escapes
Om Surf School
Oakridge International School
Green Climate NGO
JD Foundation
Ranger Force
U Too Can Sports Club
Raising Hands for Hope
Sustainability and Resiliance Unit
Plastics for Change
Polamamba Youth Association
Clean Marine
IIHYA
PARLEY INDIA 🇮🇳
Parley’s global network works to protect marine environments from plastic pollution and other threats. Through collaborative cleanups with local businesses and organizations, our teams and volunteers intercept plastic waste from beaches, remote islands, rivers, mangroves and coastal communities. Each country team shares our vision for healthier oceans globally, and works locally to champion the Parley AIR Strategy.
Since the inception of Parley for the Oceans, we’ve been able to intercept over 8.1 million kg of debris from the environment and coastal communities across the globe with the help of over 574,000 volunteers. We’ve also launched an extensive educational program, both virtual and physical. Our global cleanups and educational initiatives have reached over 1 million participants across 57 different countries and counting.