Schoolgirls hold anti-drug rally, clean up Marina stretch

Chennai: Girl students from three private schools in Chennai carried out an anti-drug rally and a beach clean-up at Marina on Thursday morning. More than 50 teachers from St Anthony's Girls Higher Secondary School, St Lazarus Middle School, and Bon Secours Nursery and Primary School supervised the event. Students, armed with cloth bags, caps, sacks, gloves, and banners, split into two groups — one marched in the rally, while the other cleaned the beach.The rally moved along the loop road, with students raising slogans against drug use in educational institutes and demanding action to end the problem. The clean-up team worked along a one-kilometre stretch from the Light House to Pattinapakkam."Clean-up and the anti-drug rally are connected, especially at Marina Beach. Along with food and plastic waste, we find empty liquor bottles, cigarette butts, and syringes discarded at night. While one group spread awareness against drugs, the other removed such toxic waste," said Margaret Daisy, headmistress of St. Anthony's Girls Higher Secondary School.Class VII student B Varshini said she felt sad to see so much plastic dumped on the beach and hoped people would act with civic sense. Mylapore MLA Dha Velu inaugurated the event and councillors A Revathy and Amrida Varshini provided support. "Drug use among students is rising. We plan to have workshops, digital detox drives, reading initiatives, and tree planting," Amrida said.