Open-water swimmer Meenakshi Pahuja swims from Alibaug to Mumbai to raise awareness on water pollution

International open-water swimmer Meenakshi Pahuja recently swam from Revas Jetty in Alibaug to the Gateway of India to raise awareness on water pollution.

International open-water swimmer Meenakshi Pahuja recently swam 20km -- from Revas Jetty in Alibaug to the Gateway of India in Mumbai -- to raise awareness on water pollution. The Nari Shakti Puraskar awardee and three-time Limca Book of Records holder started her swim at 5am.

Meenakshi Pahuja during the 20km swim

Meenakshi Pahuja

“Water is a powerful element of Nature that sustains life. My endeavour was to make people understand that we cannot pollute it and take it for granted. It’s our responsibility to not pollute it and take steps towards safeguarding our natural resources for the future generations,” Pahuja tells us, adding, “This feat wouldn’t have been possible without my skilled escort team comprising Abhinav Kant Chaturvedi, Kirish Gandhi and Faisal Siddiqui, who provided guidance and support during my swim.”

Meenakshi Pahuja with her team at the Gateway of India

A resident of Delhi, Pahuja is a 13-time national medalist. She says this swim in Maharashtra was her tribute to her late father and guru, VK Pahuja, a veteran swimming coach.