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Coastal Clean-up Programme in Pondicherry

Special Correspondent

It was launched simultaneously in eight coastal hamlets

PHOTO: T. SINGARAVELOU

CLEAN DRIVE: Chief Minister N. Rangasamy launching the coastal clean-up programme on the seashore on Saturday.

Pondicherry: Chief Minister N. Rangasamy launched the "Coastal Clean-up Programme" on the Pondicherry beach on Saturday organised by the Indian Coast Guard in association with the Local Administration Department and the Pollution Control Committee. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam legislator S.P. Sivakumar and chairperson of the Pondicherry Municipality B. Sridevi also participated.

N. Somasundaram, Commandant of the Indian Coast Guard here, said the programme was launched in keeping with the United Nations Environment Programme. The local ICG station was facilitating the observance of the day. The clean-up programme was launched simultaneously in eight coastal hamlets and members of the local non-governmental organisations were also joining hands to rid the villages of the garbage and solid waste. The scheme was taken up in Kalapet, Vaithikuppam, Kuruchikuppam, Solai Nagar, Veerampattinam, Vambakeerapalayam, Nallavadu and the Moorthikuppam villages besides the stretch of the seashore on Goubert avenue

Around 500 volunteers of the National Service Scheme (NSS) and a batch of students of Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences in Pondicherry University swung into action distributing pamphlets on the needs to preserve environment. The NSS officer, V. Sundaramoorthy, along with the programme officers of the organisation attached to the Government schools said that there was enthusiastic response from the students. Director of the Local Administration Department E. Vallavan said the municipal authorities had drawn up comprehensive plan to recycle the plastic articles used and thrown away by the consumers. He said that there was a proposal to involve members of the self-help groups to produce granules using the used plastic cups, which would be utilised for surfacing the roads at important junctions. Officials of the Department of Fisheries were also present on the occasion.

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Coastal Clean-up Programme in Pondicherry

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