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On 3 December, a delegation from the India–Norway Marine Pollution and Plastic Waste Forum 2025 conducted a field visit to initiatives led by the Afroz Shah Foundation at Mumbai’s Versova Beach, concluding with active participation in a beach clean-up.
Since 2015, environmental activist Afroz Shah has mobilized local residents and fisherfolk to remove more than 4,000 tonnes of marine litter and plastic waste from the 2.5-kilometre stretch of Versova Beach. His community-driven approach—built on door-to-door outreach to highlight the impact of marine pollution—has become a model for citizen-led environmental action. The foundation now aims to expand its efforts upstream to prevent waste from flowing through the local creek and onto the coastline. Clean-up operations have also extended to the neighbouring mangrove forests.
During the visit, participants toured three ongoing community-based projects within the Versova residential area:
- SUP-Free Shops: Local stores offering everyday commodities without single-use plastic, making sustainable choices more accessible.
- Clean Community Washrooms: Hygienic public facilities designed to reduce street and beach pollution.
- Waste Collection and Sorting Systems: Initiatives promoting separation of wet and dry waste and improved recycling practices, strengthening local waste-management infrastructure.
The visit highlighted the significant progress made through collaborative community engagement and underscored the importance of international cooperation in addressing marine pollution.