Over 500 naval personnel from Eastern Naval Command have joined the Mega Coastal Cleanup Drive as part of Puneet Sagar Abhiyan and to mark the 37th International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day with the theme “Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar”, “Clean Coast, Safe Seas” on Saturday, said the Ministry of Defence.

The event aimed to create awareness among the general public towards the upkeep of the beaches as per the Government of India mega Coastal Cleanup Drive covering a 7500 km stretch covering 75 beaches for 75 days. It commenced on July 3, 2022, and culminated on September 17, 2022, and coincides with the celebrations of 75 years of the country’s Independence in the form of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The underlying goals of the campaign are to ‘Consume Responsibly, Segregate waste at home, and Dispose Responsibly’.

The naval personnel along with NCC Cadets carried out the beach cleanup drives at Yerada, Kalinga beaches and all waterfronts within the premises of naval units.

The Coastal Cleanup Drive has gained prominence in Visakhapatnam over the last few years primarily due to rapid industrialisation and development activity impacting the environment and surroundings.
ENC has been playing an active role by undertaking various environmental initiatives toward the preservation of the environment, especially the Oceans.

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