Puducherry [India], August 27 (ANI): Union Minister Bhupender Yadav participated in the ‘Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar’ campaign, which aims at promoting environmental sustainability, at Puducherry on Saturday.
“Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar” campaign is a 75-day citizen-led initiative aimed at improving coastal and ocean health via community action. The campaign began on July 5, 2022, and will end on September 17, 2022, which happens to be the International Coastal Clean-up Day.
A large beach cleaning campaign involving over 200 children from various schools at Puducherry, NCC Cadets, Scouts and Guides was held at the Promenade Beach, along with officials of the Government of Puducherry and the general beach users.
The Campaign at the Promenade beach was marked by school children and beach users taking a Pledge – “I Am Saving My Beach” in English and Tamil. This was followed by prize distribution for the painting competition. A walkathon by 100 school students, cyclists and a float on “Connecting with the Ocean” was also flagged off by the dignitaries.
The Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan and the Chief Minister of Puducherry Thiru. N. Rangaswamy were also present during the minister’s visit.
The campaign is spearheaded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) in partnership with the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Indian Coast Guard, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and other central organisations and social organisations.
The objective is to target lifestyle and behavioural changes that promote environmental sustainability, in line with the Prime Minister’s Global initiative on the ‘lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) Movement; calling for human-centric and collective efforts to strengthen sustainable development.
The coastal clean-up campaign is being taken at 75 beaches along the coastline with average of 75 volunteers for every kilometre of the coastline under ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India, has launched a scheme to certify Indian beaches in the country as ‘Blue Flag’. This certification is given by an international organisation “Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark”
The ‘Blue Flag’ beach is an Eco-tourism model that aims to give tourists and beach-goers with clean and sanitary bathing water, facilities and amenities, a safe and healthy environment, and long-term eco-development of the area. Among the first set of 8 beaches, the EDEN BEACH at Puducherry is a certified Blue Flag Beach, since September 2020.
“Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements. (ANI).
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