ICG raises to the occasion
The coastal clean-up event is one of the enduring resolve of the Indian Coast Guard’s untiring effort in ensuring cleaner coasts in line with the ‘Swacch Bharat’ initiative of the nation.
S Vishnu Sharmaa, INN/Chennai, @svs037
Coastal cleanup held to mark 43rd Raising Day
Kasimedu harbour in Chennai was the spot of activity on 4 February, thanks to Indian Coast Guard which organised a special coastal cleanup and a community interaction programme. The event was held to mark the 43rd Raising Day by headquarters of Coast Guard Region (East).
The coastal clean-up event is one of the enduring resolve of the Indian Coast Guard’s untiring effort in ensuring cleaner coasts in line with the ‘Swacch Bharat’ initiative of the nation.
The local fisher folk, representatives from the coastal police, Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP), Dr MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Social Work students from Thiruthangal Nadar College also participated enthusiastically in clearing garbage from Chennai’s premier fishing harbour and about 2000 kgs of plastic waste including discarded nylon nets were removed.
Municipal Corporation dumpers moved in to remove the large piles of garbage collected by the participants. Community interaction was organised in co-ordination with BOBP and MSSRF by Indian Coast Guard at the venue, heads of eight different fishermen associations along with 300 fishermen participated.
Issues related to safety of life at sea, carriage of basic life-saving equipment and biometric ID cards were demonstrated to the fishermen in an interactive manner. Basic first-aid including resuscitation of people rescued from drowning and use of the ‘fishermen friend,’ a mobile app developed by the MSSRF were also demonstrated to the appreciative audience.
DIG Donny Michael, Chief Staff Officer, Regional Headquarters (East), the chief guest also exhorted to proactively ensure cleanliness of our coast and take all precautions for safety of lives at sea. He also sought the continuing support of all fishermen in acting as the eyes and ears of the Indian Coast Guard to help combat any seaward threats to national security.
The entire event was coordinated by Coast Guard Ship Shaurya Commanded by DIG Jyotinder Singh. Dheena, film actor also participated in the Clean-up initiative and appealed to all present to do their bit in ensuring cleanliness of the coast and seas.
The participants were given safety stickers to be placed on-board their vessels for reference whenever they encounter any emergencies at sea.