Sudipta Adhikary, Kaushik Banerjee and Paramita Bhattacharyya
Abstract
The pollution of the coastal regions by plastics is a significant International ecological issue. In West Bengal, Digha, which is a famous tourist attraction spot and sea side, plastic waste has accumulated in large quantities, and this has put at threat the marine life, coastal biodiversity and livelihoods. This study assesses the happenings and presence of plastic debris on the Digha beach in space, type and source via field surveys and waste audit. Results have depicted that plastics as single usage, packaging-related features and fishing related debris are the greatest pollutants and the greatest level in concentration is revealed along high tourism locations. The relationship between tourists inflows and plastic waste density is not weak, as it is statistically significant. Other discussion of sustainable mitigation strategies in the study is community awareness, improved waste management systems, and policy-related intervention, which the local stakeholders have significant roles to reduce the pollution. The findings show the need to have combined interventions that would entail technological, social and policy measures to conserve the coastal ecosystem and attain sustainable tourism in Digha.