CleanupGoa
A citizen science platform that maps garbage across Goa using crowdsourced, geotagged photographs analyzed by AI.
Our Mission
We believe that numbers can turn negative emotions into positive actions. By creating a comprehensive, real-time map of waste pollution, we empower:
- •Cleanup organizers to prioritize hotspots and allocate resources efficiently
- •Researchers to study waste patterns, sources, and temporal trends
- •Policymakers to make evidence-based decisions on waste management
- •Citizens to see the impact of their contributions and to live in a cleaner, healthier society
How It Works
1. Observe
Citizens photograph waste following our standardized protocol: ~3ft distance, 45° angle, foot for scale.
2. Geotag
Each photo is automatically tagged with GPS coordinates, creating a precise location record.
3. Analyze
AI classifies waste into 69 categories from our taxonomy, enabling detailed pollution analysis.
Who We Are
CleanupGoa is a public service initiative born from a desire to make Goa's natural beauty and public areas cleaner and safer through thousands of tiny collective actions.
The platform is built with open-source tools and runs on volunteer contributions. It is designed to empower volunteers and environmental enthusiasts who believe that citizen science and public service will create a happier, healthier future.
About Kunal
Hi! I'm Kunal. My family has deep roots in Goa, though I was born in Pune and have lived in Mumbai, Dubai, Bangkok, and Los Angeles. I have 14+ years of experience across marketing, live events, OTT platforms, real estate, and digital product development.
I love reading widely across many subjects, including political economy, social theory, history, psychology, and fiction.
My passion is for writing, and I am currently working on a novel. CleanUpGoa is a 'vibe coding' project I created using Emergent.sh
I have a bachelor's degree in Broadcast & Digital Journalism and Political Science from the University of Southern California and am a long-suffering Arsenal supporter.
Privacy by Design
We take privacy seriously. Our platform is built on four core privacy principles:
Observer Identity Protection
On the public map, observations are attributed to locations, not people. User identifiers never appear in public views or exports.
Anonymous Participation
You can contribute without creating an account. We never ask for identification before you submit an observation.
Opt-in Recognition
If you choose to create an account, you control whether your name appears on the thank-you list. It's always your choice.
Open Data Access
All aggregated, anonymized data is freely available for researchers and journalists via our public CSV export.