'Climate warrior' Bhumi now part of Versova beach clean-up

Actor Bhumi Pednekar seems to be going all lengths to take her pan India campaign, Climate Warrior, to new heights!

Using her star power to raise social consciousness among citizens regarding climate change and environmental conservation, the actor has joined hands with climate activist Afroz Shah, who became the first climate warrior being featured on her platform.

The young Indian lawyer from Mumbai, who is synonymous with the world's largest beach clean-up project in Versova, met the 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha' debutant and the two discussed the need for beach conservation in India. Later, Bhumi also participated in the clean-up which went on for over two hours.

Talking about the episode, Bhumi said, "Versova beach clean-up is the largest beach clean-up in the world and I was proud to be a part of the exercise to raise awareness on climate preservation. What I saw has changed my life and I will continue to support Afroz in any and every way possible."

Climate Warrior, launched by the 30-year-old actor, is a concerted social media initiative that will highlight incredible work done by tireless environmental activists and citizen groups across India.

Shah's journey goes back about four years when in October 2015, he and his neighbour Harbansh Mathur were frustrated with the piles of decomposing waste that had washed up and completely overwhelmed the city's Versova beach.

Determined to do something about it, the pair started cleaning up the beach themselves, one piece of rubbish at a time. Every weekend since, Shah has inspired volunteers to join him - from slum-dwellers to Bollywood stars, from schoolchildren to politicians.

So far, over 4,000 tons of trash from the 2.5-kilometer beach has been collected by the volunteers.