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More than 400 Mumbaikars, young and not so young, spent a better part of this morning – and the last leg of their Diwali holidays – giving a bit of their time for a city they love – volunteering to clean the city’s coastline at Juhu and had collected a whopping 1,946 kgs plastic waste. All this will be recycled into amenities. This was also part of the awareness exercises, inculcating behaviour change and ensuring no waste goes into landfill. “Jallosh: Clean Coasts, Restore the Shore”, a citizen led initiative, is possibly the largest collaborative public private people partnership platform led by Project Mumbai, UNICEF India and YuWaah’s Green Rising and supported by the BMC and the Government of Maharashtra’s State Climate Action Cell and Majhi Vasundhara, apart from NSS, Nine is Mine, Maharashtra Youth for Climate Action representing Mumbai’s college youth. This initiative is aimed at restoring Mumbai’s coastline and promoting environmental responsibility and is a curtain raiser to Mumbai Climate Week in February 2026 which was announced officially by Chief Minister Devendra Fadvanis yesterday. This is India’s first attempt towards such collaboration for climate actions with localised solutions. At Juhu Koliwada, volunteers participated in a range of activities, including beach clean-up and waste segregation, shoreline restoration, and awareness sessions on sustainable lifestyles. The citizen-led initiative aimed to bring about visible local change while contributing to global sustainability efforts. The event underscored the power of youth and collective citizen action in addressing climate and environmental challenges. Green Rising, a joint initiative by UNICEF, Generation Unlimited and key partners, is a global movement mobilising millions of young people to take concrete steps for the planet — from community service and advocacy to green skills and entrepreneurship. Through Green Rising, UNICEF YuWaah is enabling youth to lead with purpose, inspire collective action, and champion innovative solutions for a sustainable future. The initiative supports India’s climate commitments and aligns with the national Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), encouraging sustainable living and climate-conscious behaviour and further advancing the commitment for Mumbai Climate Week. “When young people act locally, they create ripples of change that impact the world. Through Green Rising, Generation Unlimited is empowering youth with the skills, confidence, and opportunities to turn climate action into lasting community impact, and scale it to global progress. What’s happening here in Mumbai is part of a worldwide movement to co-create a greener future for all,” Kevin Frey, CEO, Generation Unlimited (UNICEF) said. “Through such moments of giving, Project Mumbai can see Mumbai soon becoming the Kindness capital of India. Beach clean ups such as these, inspire citizens to take ownership of their city and urban environment. The initiative reflects how small, consistent community actions can lead to lasting change and build a resilient future for all,” Shishir Joshi, CEO and Founder, Project Mumbai. “The enthusiasm of young volunteers at Juhu Beach shows that when youth and citizens come together, they can turn the tide on climate change and we reaffirm our commitment to the Government of Maharashtra for making Mumbai Climate Week a successful consultation,” Sanjay Singh, Chief of UNICEF Maharashtra said. The event was attended by young college and school students from across Mumbai, Giorgia Varisco, Chief of YuWaah India, Youth Development and Partnerships ,Yusuf Kabir WASH-CCES Specialist UNICEF Mumbai; Mr Sudhakar Bobade, Mission Director, Majhi Vasundhara, Anurita Jha, Actor and Senior officials from the Government of Maharashtra and State Climate Cell and other development partners. From 17th to 19th February 2026, Mumbai will become the heart of hope in action welcoming leaders, innovators, communities, youth and all citizens from across the Global South.
