“Manu Rala 2023”: The Beach Cleanup
Beaches are where the sea meets the land and are an exceptional habitat for indicating what is going on in our oceans. Unfortunately, if you are to visit any beach these days, you will find evidence that our oceans are in crisis. The sand may look pristine, but a closer look will reveal micro plastics in the tide line and tiny pieces of waste materials in sand. According to a research conducted by Lakshman Kadirgamar institute, over 60% of sand samples and 70% of surface water contains micro plastics and an estimated 100 million kilograms of garbage is added to Sri Lanka’s south coastal belt each year.
Considering this huge damage to the ecosystem, students of the Department of Marketing Management along with the support of “Madu Ganga” foundation organised a beach clean up campaign titled “Manu Rala” on 3rd of August 2023. The theme for the campaign was “Let’s step up for a sustainable future”.
Thousands of marine animals worldwide have been affected by plastic pollution, including sea turtles, seabirds and marine mammals. Therefore beach clean ups are vital to mitigate the problem caused by debris and the danger that plastic pollution poses to marine life.
Therefore this program was conducted successfully through the day with over 100 students in participation and the faculty members of the Department leading the youth towards the thoughts and practice of a sustainable future.
