CHENNAI: The city corporation is looking to revive its ‘plogging’ challenge by the end of this month after ensuring Covid protocols are in place, according to senior corporation officials. The civic body conducted its first plogging challenge in July 2019 where around 150 city residents gathered at the Elliot’s Beach in Besant Nagar and collected around 300 kilograms of plastic waste at the end of the run.
It was then held at Porur lake. “Our last plogging event was in February last year,” said a senior corporation official. Due to the lockdown and pandemic, the event could not be conducted after February. “We are not promoting it much due to Covid. But we have plans to revive it by the month-end following Covid-appropriate behaviour,” the official said.
Plogging, that first began in Sweden in 2016, was eventually picked up by various other countries. Participants jog in a neighbourhood and pick up any trash along their way using a stick. Fitness enthusiasts deem it to be beneficial as a workout since it combines bending, squatting and stretching along with jogging. The city corporation incorporated the activity to aid its efforts in creating litter-free public spaces, especially beaches where several residents come for their morning workout.
Recently, residents of Chitlapakkam had taken up a version of the activity at the Chitlapakkam lake. Here, instead of jogging and picking (trash), residents on their regular morning walks pick up trash. “We cleared five bags of liquor bottles and plastic. We then intimated the local EO to help clear the waste. Bottles and trash were cleared from the lake waters as well,” said Sunil Jayaram, a resident.