Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept. 18: The Atal Centre for Ocean Science and Technology for the Islands (NIOT-ACOSTI), a field centre of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, conducted the “Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar” 5.0 beach-cleaning campaign at Ramnagar in Diglipur, Karmatang in Mayabunder and Raman Bagicha in Rangat on September 17, 2026.
The campaign aimed to promote cleaner beaches, enhance public awareness and encourage community participation in the conservation of the coastal and marine environment.
A total of 222 participants took part in the campaign, including 65 participants at Ramnagar, 82 at Karmatang and 75 at Raman Bagicha. School students, local Panchayat representatives, Forest Department officials, local administration and the NIOT scientific team actively participated in the beach-cleaning activities.
The campaign resulted in the collection of 271.06 kg of marine litter, including plastic waste. The quantity collected was 145.20 kg at Ramnagar, 112.28 kg at Karmatang and 13.58 kg at Raman Bagicha. The collected waste was subsequently handed over to the respective Panchayats for appropriate disposal.
The campaign witnessed the valuable participation and support of Shri Santhosh Prakash, DANICS, Assistant Commissioner, Diglipur; Shri Shivender Singh, ACF, Diglipur Division; Shri Mithun Das, Pradhan, Ramnagar Panchayat; Shri S. Krishna Chaitanya, ADM, North and Middle Andaman; Shri Anil Kumar, ACF & In-charge DFO, Mayabunder Division; Shri Thomas, Pradhan, Danapur; Shri Deepanshu Vohra, Assistant Commissioner, Rangat; Shri Alkab Hasan, SFS, Conservator of Forests, Rangat; Dr. Sukumar Das, SFS, Conservator of Forests, Rangat; and Shri Sujith Masthri, Pradhan, Nimbutala, Raman Bagicha, Rangat.
The initiative highlighted the importance of collective action and community participation in protecting coastal and marine ecosystems. Through such collaborative efforts, NIOT-ACOSTI continues to contribute towards building awareness and strengthening the commitment to cleaner beaches, healthier coasts and a clean, healthy and safe ocean.