To mark the beginning of Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar 5.0 campaign, a coastal cleanup drive was organised today at Digha, East Midnapore, by Ministry of Earth Sciences and coordinated Nation wide by National Institute of Ocean Technology(NIOT), Chennai. The cleanup drive commenced with an inaugural ceremony at the Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre (MARC). Around 100 participants, including college students and officials from MARC, Niot, Incois, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Coast Guard, participated in the initiative.

Shri Sreenivasa Rao Gangi Reddy, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), inaugurated the programme, along with NIOT.

The initiative was organised as a prelude to International Coastal Cleanup Day, to be observed on September 19, 2026, with the objective of creating greater awareness about marine pollution and encouraging sustainable practices for the protection of coastal and marine ecosystems.

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NKR/JKP 

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