Kolkata: A coastal cleanup drive was organised at Digha Beach in East Midnapore on Friday as part of the launch of the Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar 5.0 campaign, with around 100 students and officials joining the initiative to raise awareness about marine pollution and sustainable coastal practices.
The drive was organised by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and coordinated nationwide by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai. The programme began with an inaugural ceremony at the Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre (MARC) in Digha.
Around 100 participants, including college students and officials from MARC, NIOT, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Coast Guard, took part in the cleanup initiative.
Shri Sreenivasa Rao Gangi Reddy, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, inaugurated the programme along with representatives of NIOT.
The cleanup drive was organised as a prelude to International Coastal Cleanup Day, which will be observed on September 19, 2026. The initiative seeks to promote greater public awareness about marine pollution and encourage sustainable practices to safeguard coastal and marine ecosystems.
The campaign also aims to underline the role of citizens and institutions in keeping beaches clean and reducing pollution entering the marine environment.
