Rangat | September 19, 2026
The International Coastal Cleanup Day – Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar 2026 campaign was observed at Raman Bagicha, Rangat, Middle Andaman, on September 19, with the aim of promoting coastal conservation and raising awareness about marine pollution.
The programme was organized by the Divisional Forest Officer, Middle Andaman, in collaboration with Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), educational institutions and the local community. The campaign was conducted in pursuance of communication received from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), as Raman Bagicha is the pilot Blue Flag Beach of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
During the beach-cleaning drive, nearly 97 kg of waste was collected. This included around 12 kg of plastic bottles and hard plastics, 45 kg of glass bottles and tin cans, 15 kg of plastic wrappers and single-use plastics, and 25 kg of other waste such as plastics, fishing nets, ropes and footwear.
The collected waste was segregated and handed over to Gram Panchayat Nimbutala for further disposal.
As part of the programme, saplings were also planted under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative. The plantation drive was participated in by the Block Development Officer, Zilla Parishad members, PRIs and the Divisional Forest Officer.
More than 125 people participated in the campaign, including students, teachers, Youth Coordinators’ volunteers, representatives of Nimbutala Panchayat, Government Middle School, Rangat Bay, local community members, and ministerial and executive staff and workers of the Divisional Forest Office, Middle Andaman.
The campaign highlighted the role of community participation in reducing coastal pollution, protecting beaches and conserving marine ecosystems, while promoting collective efforts towards sustainable coastal and ocean conservation.
