SRIKAKULAM: The CISF Vande Mataram Coastal Cyclothon-2026, a flagship national public outreach and awareness initiative of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), reached Kalingapatnam on the 9th day of its journey in Srikakulam district on Thursday.
The Cyclothon was accorded overwhelming response with over 3,000 people including local villagers and school children giving a traditional welcome by raising slogans of Vande Mataram and Bharat Matha ki Jai.
CISF Deputy Inspector General (DIG) M G Raghavendra Kumar, CISF Unit Visakhapatnam Port Authority Senior Commandant Satish Kumar Bajpai, Srikakulam MLA Gondu Sankar, CISF Unit Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, representatives of Ex-Servicemen Associations, fishing community participated in the event.
This CISF Vande Mataram Coastal Cyclothon-2026 formally commenced with two CISF cycling teams simultaneously flagging off from Bakkhali (West Bengal) and Lakhpat (Gujarat).
The teams will collectively traverse approximately 6,600 kilometers along India’s eastern and western coastlines, covering nine coastal States and two Union Territories, before culminating at Kochi on 22 February 2026.
Addressing the gathering, CISF DIG M. G. Raghavendra Kumar stated that coastal security can be effectively strengthened only through active public participation, particularly by fishing communities who serve as vital stakeholders in safeguarding India’s maritime interests.