Malvan's fishing community, environmentalists, and government agencies joined forces on December 9 and 10 to clean up marine debris near Sindhudurg Fort in Maharashtra. They collected nearly 650 kilograms of waste, including ghost nets, plastic wrappers, bottles, cans, and fiberglass pieces, from up to 30 feet underwater. The cleanup was led by Vanashakti’s coastal wing, Sagarshakti, working with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, Mangrove Cell, State Fisheries Department, Malvan Nagar Parishad, Fisheries Survey of India, and local diving groups. This drive is the first under Phase II of the Marine Debris Cleanup Project, which aims to protect coral reef ecosystems and marine life on the Malvan coast. Environmentalist and fisherman Nandakumar Waman Pawar said, "This is the second year of the drive... we plan 10 drives this year—two every month—though we started late due to rough seas." The dive focused on hotspots around Sindhudurg Fort, a marine biodiversity center. Local diver Bhushan Juwatkar warned, "Several coral structures were found entangled in ghost nets, severely restricting their growth and threatening marine life." About 400 kg of debris came from reef areas alone, with ghost nets making up 60% of the waste. Other items included plastic bottles, metal cans, sacks, glass bottles, and fiberglass fragments. In June 2025, Vanashakti proposed the "Clean Shore Initiative" to expand cleanup efforts and promote sustainable waste management in Malvan. Mr. Pawar noted, "Marine litter is one of the most pressing environmental threats of the 21st century," with millions of tons of plastic polluting oceans yearly. He urged communities and policymakers to improve waste management and reduce plastic use to protect Maharashtra’s first marine sanctuary. This cleanup drive highlights strong community effort and inter-agency cooperation to safeguard coastal ecosystems.