KONARK: In a bid to preserve the marine ecosystems in the state, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, conducted a beach clean-up drive at Chandrabhaga beach in Konark and Tandahar beach in Astaranga and collected a whopping 1,620 kg marine waste.
The event, orgaised as part of International Coastal Cleanup Day 2025, was supported by the Centurion University of Technology and Management (CUTM) and voluntary organisation SPANDAN.
Officials said over 80 fisherfolk, INCOIS scientists, CUTM officials, students and local community members joined hands to clear the shoreline at Chandrabhaga beach. Together, they collected around 1,400 kg of trash, including plastic litter, discarded fishing nets and other non-biodegradable waste under the nationwide ‘Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar” (Clean Coast Safe Sea) campaign.
Similarly, more than 40 volunteers, including government officials, students, and members of the fishing community removed 220 kgs of marine debris at Tandahar beach.
CUTM pro-vice chancellor Biswajit Mishra, on the occasion, emphasised the importance of youth and community engagement in advancing the Swachh Bharat Mission and protecting fragile coastal ecosystems.
Scientists from INCOIS, Sanjiba Baliarsingh and Alakes Samanta, also interacted with participants, spreading awareness on the growing menace of marine plastic pollution and its adverse impact on fisheries and coastal livelihoods. They said beaches are not only hubs of ecological significance but also crucial for tourism and the fishing economy. Collective action is essential to safeguard them, the scientists said.