Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 10 July 2025
As part of the ongoing Swachhata Pakhwada initiative (July 1–15), the Atal Centre for Ocean Science and Technology for Islands (ACOSTI) — a field centre of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India — organized a coastal clean-up drive at Hope Town Beach and awareness campaign at Vitala Public School in Sri Vijaya Puram.
The campaign aimed to promote coastal sanitation, personal hygiene, and environmental responsibility, with a special focus on eliminating single-use plastics and adopting sustainable waste management practices to safeguard fragile coastal ecosystems.
The event witnessed active participation from the local community, including Ms. V.K. Mariyam Bibi, Zilla Parishad Member, Bambooflat, and Ms. Rashida Bibi, Panchayat Pradhan, Hopetown, who lauded the initiative and encouraged greater community engagement in such efforts.
A total of 103 volunteers comprising NIOT-ACOSTI staff, students, teachers, Panchayat members, and local residents took part in the drive. The participants successfully collected 712.8 kilograms of marine debris, which was later handed over to the local Panchayat for proper disposal.
In a gesture of community support, essential sanitation supplies and daily-use items were also donated to Vitala Public School and the local Panchayat, underscoring NIOT’s ongoing commitment to scientific outreach, environmental conservation, and the sustainable development of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands through collaborative action.
