Anthropogenic Marine Litter on the Maharashtra Coastline (India): Prevalence, Distribution, Sources, Impacts, Mitigation Strategies and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Anthropogenic marine litter (AML) along the 21 beaches of the Maharashtra coast was examined using Oslo and Paris (OSPAR) Commission guidelines to explore its sources, distribution, potential impacts, and mitigation strategies. The Clean Coast Index (CCI) and Hazardous Anthropogenic Beach Litter Index (HABLI) were used to evaluate beach cleanliness and safety, respectively. A total of 13,735 AML items were collected and categorized into 82 types, with an average abundance of 0.92 items/m² along the Maharashtra coast. Plastic was the most common type of AML (84.7%), with the top 10 items contribute 62.1% of the total, half of which originated from land-based sources. Sector 1 (Mumbai) accounted for 42.5% of AML, followed by Sector 3 (30%; Ratnagiri), Sector 2 (19.8%; Raigad), and Sector 4 (7.7%; Sindhudurg). Mitigation measures prioritizing Sectors 1 and 3 could reduce about 70% of AML entering the Arabian Sea. Globally, 67.2% of studies reported similar or higher AML levels compared to the Maharashtra coast. The CCI revealed that 57.2% of beaches had "low to very low cleanliness," and 6.8% of the AML was hazardous, which could negatively affect coastal tourism and the regional economy. The study recommends policy measures for Maharashtra coast, such as improving waste management infrastructure, encouraging recycling, fostering responsible tourist behaviour, altering tourist perceptions, enforcing stringent regulations for managing tourism and fishery-related litter, and imposing penalties for illegal waste disposal.