The Ministry of Earth Sciences has highlighted the expanding reach of the Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar campaign, which aims to keep India’s coasts clean and seas safe. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh led a coastal cleanup drive at Juhu Beach in Mumbai as the country observed International Coastal Cleanup Day. The initiative now involves government bodies, citizens, students, NGOs and public figures working together across India’s coastline.
Campaign scope and timeline
The Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar campaign began in 2022 during India’s 75th Independence Day celebrations as a 75-day inter-ministerial effort. It has since grown into an annual nationwide movement coordinated around International Coastal Cleanup Day, which falls on the third Saturday of September each year. The 2026 edition ran from September 12 to 19.
The campaign now brings together:
- Coastal States and Union Territories
- Central Government departments and agencies, including the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy
- Students, schools and educational institutions
- NGOs, volunteers and local communities
- Celebrities, sporting personalities and public representatives
India’s coastline stretches approximately 11,098 km across its coastal regions. The campaign focuses on removing plastic and other waste from beaches and shorelines while building public awareness about marine pollution. The Ministry of Earth Sciences supports these efforts through scientific initiatives and public outreach on marine litter and coastal protection. A platform called Sagar Prahari helps citizens participate in and document marine litter findings.
What this means for you
If you live in or visit a coastal area, you can join cleanup drives and ocean conservation activities during the annual campaign period. Students and volunteers can participate in hands-on beach cleaning and pledge to protect marine ecosystems. The Sagar Prahari platform allows ordinary citizens to report and track coastal pollution issues, making marine conservation a shared public responsibility rather than just a government task.