INCOIS Leads Cleanup Drive at Ponnani Beach

Rapid Summary

• Event: INCOIS (Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services),Hyderabad,organized a beach clean-up drive at Ponnani beach on International Coastal Clean-Up Day (September 20,2025).
• Collaborators: Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), MES Ponnani College, and Ponnani municipality participated in the initiative under the Union government’s ‘Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar’ campaign.
• Inauguration: The drive was inaugurated by Ponnani municipal chairperson Sivadasan Attupuram.
• Objective: Raise awareness about marine pollution, especially plastic waste; safeguard the coastal ecosystem; and clean up the shoreline.
• Participants & Outcomes: Scientists, students, local volunteers collected approximately 100 kg of plastic waste during the activity.
• Speakers:

– INCOIS scientist A.G. Nidheesh emphasized preserving marine ecosystems.
– Talks were given by Coastal police circle inspector Sasidharan Melayil and representatives from MES Ponnani College and KUFOS.

Images:

1. Image depicting municipal chairperson Sivadasan Attupuram inaugurating the event with an NCC cadet participating in the cleanup campaign.
2. Image showing participants beside collected waste at Ponnani Beach.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The clean-up drive reflects India’s growing commitment to tackling ocean pollution-a critical concern for its vast coastline spanning over 7,500 km. Initiatives like ‘Swachh Sagar’ highlight efforts that blend public awareness campaigns with actionable measures to combat environmental degradation caused by plastic waste in coastal areas.

While collecting 100 kg of plastic is commendable as a local effort to improve ecosystem health, addressing this issue on a larger scale requires sustained community engagement alongside infrastructure solutions such as better recycling systems or stricter enforcement against littering practices near coastal zones. This collaboration between scientific bodies like INCOIS and educational institutions demonstrates how multi-stakeholder participation can amplify impact while educating future generations about ecological duty.

For regions like Kerala where fisheries play a significant socio-economic role, maintaining healthy marine ecosystems becomes even more critical-not just environmentally but economically too-for safeguarding livelihoods dependent on aquatic biodiversity.

Read More: The Hindu