On Sunday morning, Juhu Beach, Koliwada, Santacruz looked very different from the festive shoreline it had been just a night earlier. The sounds of celebration had faded, the crowds had dispersed and the sea had carried away countless idols offered during Ganesh Visarjan. What remained on the shore was the aftermath — flowers, plastic bags, immersion material and remnants of Ganesh idols scattered across the sand.THE MORNING AFTER BAPPA’S FAREWELLAt daybreak, 36 student volunteers arrived not to celebrate, but to clean up. Over the course of the beach clean-up drive, they collected 207 kilograms of waste, much of it linked to the previous day’s immersions. The waste was segregated on-site and handed over for appropriate disposal, with the initiative focusing on reducing the impact of post-festival debris on Mumbai’s coastline and mangrove ecosystem.FROM CELEBRATION TO RESPONSIBILITYThe clean-up was jointly conducted by students from a city college in association with local NGOs, with faculty, staff and student volunteers coming together early on a Sunday morning to tackle the debris left behind after the festivities. The initiative was spearheaded by Vidur Dhabaria, a city college faculty member who teaches Environmental Studies (EVS) and also leads a youth education non-profit organisation. For him, the exercise was an extension of what students learn beyond the classroom.“Ganesh Visarjan is a moment of great faith and celebration, but it also leaves our beaches carrying the weight of that celebration the very next morning,” he says. “This drive is about taking responsibility for that impact; not as an afterthought, but as an extension of what we teach our students, both in the classroom and outside it.”With 207 kilograms of waste removed from the shoreline, Dhabaria says every small action matters. “Every kilogram of waste we pulled off this beach today is a small but real act of care for Mumbai’s coastline.”‘ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY FELT REAL’For the students, the exercise offered a lesson that went well beyond textbooks and lectures. Second-year BBA in International Business student Simran Kaur, a Khar resident, says seeing the extent of the waste first-hand changed the way she viewed environmental responsibility.“It was overwhelming to see how much waste had accumulated on the beach in just one night after the immersions,” she says. “Being part of the clean-up made the idea of environmental responsibility feel real and immediate, rather than something we just read about. It’s a small effort, but it reminds us that we all have a part to play in keeping our city’s coastline clean.”For first-year International Business and Finance student Abhinandan Agrawal, the experience offered a different perspective on a festival he had always associated with celebration. “This was my first time volunteering for a beach clean-up, and it completely changed how I look at Visarjan celebrations,” says the Vile Parle resident. “Seeing idol remains and plastic waste up close made the environmental cost very real for me.”‘THE CITY FEELS A LITTLE MORE LIKE HOME’For two students who moved to Mumbai from outside the city, the morning carried an added significance. Bhopal resident Juhi Shahani and Piyush Agrawal from Nepal, both pursuing BBA in International Business in Mumbai, had never experienced Ganesh Visarjan up close before moving to the city for college.“Being from out of town, we hadn’t seen a Ganesh Visarjan up close before moving to Mumbai for college,” they say. “Waking up early to clean the same beach we’d celebrated on the night before really stayed with us — it made the city feel a little more like home, and reminded us that we’re responsible for it too, not just visitors passing through.”MORE THAN A SYMBOLIC GESTUREThe early start was itself a reflection of the commitment behind the exercise. Volunteers were on the ground at 6 a.m., working together to clear the shoreline rather than simply marking the occasion with a symbolic gesture. Vishal Gupta, coordinator with one of the partner organisations, says the effort demonstrated that commitment. “Seeing the entire team come together at 6 a.m. on a Sunday says a lot about the intent behind this drive — it wasn’t just symbolic, it was real work.”By the time the clean-up was over, 207 kilograms of post-Visarjan waste had been removed from the beach. But perhaps the more lasting takeaway was less tangible: for the students who spent their Sunday morning picking up what the celebrations had left behind, the shoreline became a classroom — one that offered a simple lesson in celebrating with faith while taking responsibility for what comes after.
