HCLFoundation, which drives the corporate social responsibility agenda of HCLTech in India, said on Monday it had completed a massive coastal cleanup campaign across 50 coastal areas in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

The coastal cleanup was launched on August 11 to mark the 50th anniversary of the HCL Group. HCLFoundation ran it with the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, People’s Action for Development, Development Research Communication and Services Centre, SPANDAN, ReefWatch Marine Conservation, Plan@Earth, Animal Warriors Conservation Society and Plan Foundation.

On International Coastal Cleanup Day, the Foundation also held awareness events, including street plays, sand sculptures and marine debris exhibitions. Employees, local communities and environmental partners took part in Kundapura (Karnataka), Kochi (Kerala), Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu), Ongole (Andhra Pradesh), South and North 24 Paraganas (West Bengal) and Puri (Odisha).

The coastal cleanup mobilized more than 7,000 volunteers and community members, who collected and responsibly removed over 54,000 kg of marine debris from coastal ecosystems.

“Healthy oceans and clean coastlines are critical to ecological balance, livelihoods and community well-being. Lasting environmental change requires sustained participation from all stakeholders to help foster a culture of stewardship and responsibility towards our coastal ecosystems,” said Dr. Nidhi Pundhir, Director, HCLFoundation, while taking part in a beach clean-up drive in Puri, Odisha.

Under its coastal and marine conservation mission, HCLFoundation and its partners have so far removed more than 829,610 kg of ghost nets and marine debris.