Pune Students Help Fishermen Earn While Keeping 2800 Litres of Toxic Oil Out of the Sea

“Whatever we throw into the sea comes back to us on our plate,” says Gaurav Khanvilkar, a 36-year-old fisherman from Devgad in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district. 

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For Gaurav, fishing is not simply work. It shapes the rhythm of daily life along the Konkan coast. Mornings begin early, boats head out before the sun rises, and evenings end with the day’s catch being sorted and sold. Varieties such as surmai (seer fish), pomfret, kingfish, and mackerel form a staple part of local diets, alongside prawns and small crustaceans. For generations, these waters have fed families like his.

At the end of a long day at sea, engine maintenance is routine. Used lubricating oil is drained, collected, and discarded. For years, nobody paused to ask where it went next.

When waste slipped unnoticed into the sea

An invisible threat had been building in the background in the form of used lubricating oil from fishing boat engines. Thick, black, and toxic, used lubricating oil from fishing boat engines was routinely dumped into the sea or sold cheaply to scrap dealers. There were no collection facilities, no clear disposal systems, and little awareness of the damage it caused.

“I had seen people throw it directly into the sea, especially when they had large quantities. At that time, nobody explained the harm it was doing to the water, the fish, or to us,” Gaurav recalls. 

Across landing centres in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, about a third of fishing vessels were involved in such practices, amounting to nearly two to three lakh litres of used oil entering the sea every year. 

Marine life was among the first to suffer from this pollution. Oil formed a film on the water’s surface, damaged algae and plankton, harmed juvenile fish and shellfish, and eventually travelled up the food chain. For fishing communities, the danger circled back to their own plates and their own health.

For Gaurav and his peers, it was an invisible danger, harming both their health and their livelihood.

A familiar coast, a growing concern

Two researchers, Shruti Ghag (29) and Pooja Sathe (30), were already familiar with these waters. Both grew up in coastal communities and had studied fisheries and environmental science before joining the Centre for Sustainable Development at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics in Pune. 

“The landing centres were familiar spaces for us,” Shruti explains. “We knew the fishermen and their routines. When we saw used oil being dumped, the problem did not feel alien to us.” 

Their first task was observation. They visited landing centres, watched disposal practices, and spoke to fishermen, often delicately, as no one was willing to admit openly that they dumped oil into the sea.

Pooja recalls the weight of what they were uncovering. “This was not only an environmental concern; it was a direct threat to human health. The fishermen themselves eat these fish. They were unknowingly putting toxins on their own plates.” 

With careful research, they confirmed that the problem was both significant and solvable. 

Dr Gurudas Nulkar, head of the centre and mentor to the initiative, stresses the importance of this first step. “We had to establish whether the problem was real, big, and actionable. We spent months gathering evidence and talking to communities. Only then could we consider intervention.”

Charting the course

The initiative took shape in October 2023. For the first six months, the team stayed in listening and learning mode. This phase focused on understanding how widespread the problem was, how it affected the sea, and what it meant for the people who depended on it every day.

What they realised was simple. Fishermen had no proper way to store or hand over used oil, and there was no financial reason to do so. Recycling technology already existed, but there was no system connecting fishermen to collectors and authorised recyclers. Without that missing link, the oil kept finding its way back into the sea.

By July 2024, the team moved into Phase Two. 

They designed a market-driven circular economy model called the OCEAN initiative. The idea was practical. Fishermen would sell their used lubricating oil at a fair price. Local youths, trained as OCEAN partners, would collect, store, and transport the oil to licensed recyclers. Each link in the chain would earn, creating a system that could sustain itself.

“One of the most important aspects was trust. We could have set up infrastructure, but if fishermen did not feel secure about getting paid, it wouldn’t work,” Shruti tells The Better India.

From waste to wealth

Awareness campaigns were central to this phase. The team visited the three landing centres, including Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, and Raigad, spoke to fishermen, and created a 12-minute documentary illustrating the journey of used oil from boats to the sea, and the dangers it poses. 

This film was screened in 18 local schools, turning children into ambassadors who carried the message home. “All the children’s parents are fishermen,” Pooja says. “When they tell their fathers what they have learnt, it carries more weight than any formal instruction.” The strategy was to inform the community, provide a practical solution, and offer a financial incentive.

A pilot that changes daily habits

Phase Three began in June 2025 with a pilot in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. Among the first OCEAN partners were Pankaj Prasad Sathe (28) from Watad and Raj Deepak Teli (25) from Devgad. Pankaj, a civil engineer, saw an opportunity to link environmental action with entrepreneurship. 

“Earlier, fishermen threw the oil into the sea without thinking about the repercussions. Now they bring it to me. That itself is a huge change,” Pankaj says. 

Raj was already closely connected to the fishing community. “Collecting used oil fit naturally into my work and offered extra income. It was practical and impactful,” he explains.

The change was visible within months. Fishermen who had once seen disposal as a chore began bringing oil to collection points. Within six months, the programme collected over 2,800 litres of used lubricating oil, preventing that amount from entering the sea. 

Around 800 fishermen from Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg are currently participating in the OCEAN initiative.

Gaurav, who had initially been sceptical, noticed the difference. “I see many of my friends selling their oil now instead of dumping it.”

Closing the loop responsibly

After the pilot proved successful, the initiative began looking beyond its initial locations. From late 2025, the focus shifted to expanding into more districts and building wider awareness. Interest also started coming in from other coastal regions, including Goa and Tamil Nadu.

By this stage, OCEAN partners had become familiar and trusted faces in their communities. They collected used oil, explained why proper disposal mattered, and showed how it could benefit both the sea and fishermen’s incomes. “Participation is key. Once people see the benefits for the environment and for their pockets, they are willing to change behaviour,” Dr Nulkar explains.

The collected oil is transported to licensed recyclers approved by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. It is picked up directly from the shore by the recycling company, KK Lubrications, based in Pune. There, impurities are removed, and the oil is repurposed. Part of the collected oil is reused as lower-grade lubrication for machines and engines that do not need high-quality oil. The rest replaces furnace oil, helping reduce dependence on fossil fuels. 

“This is a true circular economy. It keeps toxins out of the ocean while generating value for local communities,” Nulkar adds.

Beyond the shore: Impact and lessons

The initiative has made a difference to both livelihoods and social practices. Fishermen now earn money from what was previously a harmful waste. OCEAN partners like Pankaj and Raj generate additional income while playing an important environmental role. 

Raj reflects, “I earn extra income part-time, and I feel I am doing something meaningful for my community.” Awareness among children also contributes to long-term change, as young students return home with knowledge that influences entire households.

The initiative has also taught the researchers valuable lessons. Shruti shares, “We learnt that technical solutions alone are not enough. You need trust, motivation, and a connection to the community.” Dr Nulkar emphasises the market-driven nature of the project: “If you create a market for used lubricating oil, the problem begins to solve itself. You don’t need regulation or policing; the incentive is financial and practical.”

The OCEAN initiative has also opened up conversations around policy. Fishermen have suggested simple government support, such as subsidised fresh oil for those who responsibly sell their used oil. This kind of collaboration between communities, local enterprises, and regulation could strengthen the programme and help it reach every coastal village across the Ratnagiri–Sindhudurg belt.

Protecting the future

Looking ahead, the initiative plans to tackle plastic pollution along the coast, building on the trust and infrastructure established through the oil recycling programme. With interest from other coastal states, the model is highly scalable and adaptable. Dr Nulkar shares, “The biggest thing is participation. When people see that protecting the sea benefits both their health and their livelihood, change becomes inevitable.”

The impact of the OCEAN initiative shows up both in numbers and in daily life along the coast. More than 2,800 litres of used oil have been collected, keeping toxic waste out of coastal waters. Fishermen now earn an additional Rs 20 to 25 per litre, while OCEAN partners earn Rs 10 to 15 per litre, supporting local livelihoods.

Schools and children are part of the awareness efforts, carrying these conversations beyond the landing centres and into homes. Over time, the benefits become visible in cleaner water, healthier fish, and fishing communities that see the value of protecting the sea they depend on.

The OCEAN initiative has turned an ignored source of harm into a shared responsibility. Along the Konkan coast, fishing communities are protecting the waters that sustain them, one small decision at a time. This shift, rooted in everyday choices and local trust, offers a model that can travel across India’s seven coastal states, preserving both livelihoods and the sea for generations to come.

As Gaurav reflects, “The sea feeds us. If we protect it, it will protect us.” 

All pictures courtesy Pooja Sathe.