The Ministry of Earth Sciences said on 6 July that although beach litter levels are decreasing as a result of a three-year survey of India’s coastline, microplastics continue to pose a threat to delicate ecosystems, including coral reefs, mangroves, and estuaries. Between 2022 and 2025, the National Centre for Coastal Research sampled 19 transects along the west coast from Porbandar to Kanyakumari and 25 transects along the east coast from Puri to Tuticorin in order to determine the levels of microplastic and marine debris. Results indicate that the main sources of microplastics are riverine inputs and ALDFG, or abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear. Beach litter is mostly associated with tourism and leisure activities, and it is tracked every year on the third Saturday of September as part of the “Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar” campaign.

According to research, plastic’s percentage of beach litter decreased from 67% in 2018 to 43% in 2024. Significant microplastic pollution was discovered in sediments along the eastern Arabian Sea shelf by research conducted by the National Institute of Oceanography in Goa. The levels of microplastic contamination were higher in benthic ecosystems than in the open ocean. Plastic made up between 66 and 83 per cent of the debris in mangroves, with an average density of 5.14 items per square metre in Goa and 8.5 items per square metre in Maharashtra. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands’ coral reefs had a plastic composition of 61%, whereas Mumbai’s intertidal coral ecosystems had over 91%, with single-use bags and wrappers constituting the majority. 86 per cent of the 6,227 litter objects found during a survey on North Cinque Island, an isolated island in the Bay of Bengal, were made of plastic.

A National Marine Litter Policy has been draughted by the MoES and sent to several ministries and agencies for evaluation. About 150 tonnes of rubbish have been removed from beaches since 2018 thanks to more than 250 beach clean-ups and community-led projects that target locals, fishermen, and students. According to the government, “citizen science” projects seek to increase public knowledge of the ecological threats posed by microplastics and marine trash. Dr Jitendra Singh, minister of state for science and technology and earth sciences, submitted the facts to Parliament in a written response.