Around 60 people cleaned the Brigade Parade Grounds recently, collecting mostly plastic waste.

Plastic packets, bottles, plates, glasses and wrappers formed the bulk of the litter on Sunday morning. They were mostly left behind by visitors to the Maidan, also known as the lungs of Calcutta.

The drive was conducted by Garbage Free India, a Calcutta-headquartered NGO, in association with Break Free From Plastic, a worldwide campaign to combat plastic pollution.

Despite a nagging rain, the event saw participants from various organisations, including students from schools and colleges.

The participants met at the North Gate of the Victoria Memorial Hall a little before 7am. The participants collected the litter from the Maidan for the next couple of hours.

“Some of the items will be recycled. Some of the plastic items will be used to make hot bituminous asphalt, also called hot-mix, which is used to lay the top layer of roads,” said an organiser.

A “plastic brand audit” was also conducted. It involves counting and documenting the brands found on plastic waste to help identify the companies responsible for plastic pollution.

“We extend our gratitude to the army, Kolkata Police and other authorities for their invaluable support and for granting the necessary permissions to conduct this event,” said Arundhati Sen, chief strategy and partnership officer of Garbage Free India.