STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh on Monday informed that more than 200 ton of garbage, mainly single use plastic, has been removed from the sea coast during the first 20 days of the ongoing 75-day Coastal Clean-Up campaign launched on 5th July, 2022. Taking a review meeting after 20 days of the launch of campaign, Dr Jitendra Singh also noted with satisfaction that so far more than 5,200 volunteers from 24 States have already registered for the 75-day long campaign to raise awareness about “Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar”, which will culminate on “International Coastal Clean-up Day” on 17th September 2022. The Minister directed the officials of the Ministry of Earth Sciences to rope in NGOs, citizen groups, children and youth forums, corporates, non-profit organisations, consular staff as well as the Municipal Corporations of the Coastal States to convert it into a Jan Andolan.
Dr Jitendra reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a lead in the cleanliness campaign and has motivated the entire nation to keep the 7500 Kilometres long coastal line of India clean, safe and healthy for mankind.
Secretary, MoES, Dr M. Ravichandra informed Dr Jitendra Singh that coastal clean-up campaign were carried out at Digha and Haldiya in West Bengal, Bhawanipatna in Odisha Paschim, Thiruvananthapuram and Manjeshwar in Kasaragod district of Kerala, AsmawatiGhat in Porbandar and Gir, Somnath in Gujarat, Mangalore, Udupi in Karnataka and Chatham for Shore Road in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He said that apart from removal of garbage from the sea coasta, activities like campaign pledge, NukkadNatak, Cycle Rally for Plastic se Azadi, Beach cleaning and Plantation, Sensitization of local communities about the coastal clean-up campaign were carried out in the last 20 days.
Dr Jitendra Singh sought active cooperation of members of civil society to achieve the target to remove 1,500 ton of garbage, mainly single use plastic from the sea coasts on “International Coastal Clean-up Day” on 17th September 2022, which incidentally is also birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, observed as “Sewa Divas” in the country.
He called upon all to join the massive clean-up drive on 17th September to be carried out at 75 beaches across the country with 75 volunteers for every kilometre of the coastline. He also added that this year’s event also coincides with the celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in the 75th year of the country’s independence.
On 22nd July, Dr Jitendra Singh had convened a meeting of Union Ministers and Members of Parliament from coastal states of the country and sought their suggestions and support to make it a mass campaign.