Sri Vijaya Puram, July 9: As part of Swachhata Pakhwada initiative (01–15 July), Atal Centre for Ocean Science and Technology for Islands (ACOSTI), a field Centre of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, organized a coastal clean-up and awareness campaign at Hopetown Beach and Vitala Public School in Sri Vijaya Puram to promote coastal sanitation, personal hygiene, and environmental responsibility yesterday.
The campaign emphasized the need to eliminate single-use plastics and adopt sustainable waste management practices to protect coastal ecosystems. The event was also actively participated in by Ms. V.K. Mariyam Bibi, Zilla Parishad Member, Bambooflat, and Smt. Rashida Bibi, Panchayat Pradhan, Hopetown, who appreciated the initiative and supported community involvement. A total of 103 volunteers, including NIOT-ACOSTI staff, students, teachers, Panchayat members, and villagers, participated in the clean-up drive, collecting 712.8 kg of marine debris, which was handed over to the local Panchayat for proper disposal.
Essential sanitation supplies and daily-use items were also donated to the school and Panchayat, reinforcing NIOT’s commitment to scientific outreach, environmental stewardship, and the sustainable development of the A&N Islands through active community collaboration.