VPA takes up clean-up campaign on beachfront

Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA took up a massive beach clean up programme here on Tuesday as part of 'Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar (Clean Coast Safe Sea) campaign.

VPA employees in large numbers along with citizens cleaned the beachfront area at various locations like Fishing Harbour, Ramakrishna Beach from Kalimatha Mandir to VMRDA Park. The programme will continue till September 17 marking the celebration of International Coastal Clean-up Day.

On the instructions of VPA Chairman K. Rama Mohana Rao, the employees are observing the Swachh Bharat programme on every Friday in the post-lunch session. VPA is the only port to carry out such cleaning programme on a weekly basis among all other major ports, an official press release stated.

On the call of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Earth Sciences has in collaboration with other ministries as well as NGOs and civil society launched, first of its kind, a 75-day long campaign to clean 75 beaches along 7,500 kms. The campaign started on July 5 and will last up to International Coastal Clean-up Day. The Government of India decided to run the cleanliness campaign as 'Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar' programme.