Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday called for collective efforts to keep the state’s coastline clean and protect its marine ecosystems, saying the sea is deeply intertwined with Odisha’s identity, heritage and livelihoods.
In a message on International Coastal Cleanup Day, Majhi said maintaining clean shores was essential not only for environmental protection but also for strengthening the state’s emerging Blue Economy and securing the livelihoods of coastal communities.
He said Odisha’s coastline encompasses much more than its beaches, encompassing cultural traditions, religious heritage and ecologically important habitats. From Puri and Gopalpur to the mangroves of Bhitarkanika and the nesting sites of Olive Ridley turtles, the coast reflects generations of Odisha’s relationship with the sea.
Referring to the sea at Puri as ‘Mahodadhi’, a name found in the Puranic and scriptural tradition, Majhi said it symbolised Odisha’s enduring association with nature, faith and the Jagannath tradition.
The Chief Minister said coastal protection was ultimately about protecting people whose lives and livelihoods are linked to the sea. Fishers, boatmen, farmers, women, youth and other coastal families have depended on the coastline for generations, he noted, adding that safeguarding the shores would help protect both marine ecosystems and the future of the Blue Economy.
Majhi also highlighted the Centre’s efforts to promote ocean-cleaning initiatives and commended the ‘Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar’ campaign being implemented under the Ministry of Earth Sciences and Union Minister Jitendra Singh. He said the initiative was bringing citizens, young people and coastal communities together for greater public participation in protecting India’s coastline and oceans.
The Chief Minister urged people to turn coastal cleanliness into a sustained public movement so that cleaner beaches and healthier oceans could support coastal communities and future generations.
