PIB_Science and Technology

ALT The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences is gearing for a mass cleanliness campaign being organised along the country’s nearly 7,500 km long coastline on September 17 to mark the International Coastal Clean-Up Day. Litter in the marine environment, especially in the form of plastics, is an issue of major concern worldwide, with several studies showing their harmful impact on marine biodiversity, ecosystems, fisheries, human health, and the economy. Usually, wastes from land-based sources make up the significant share of marine litter. As a signatory of the United Nation’s "Coastal Clean Seas" campaign, India has been adopting many activities to prevent pollution from both land-based and offshore activities, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 14 and its target 14.1, which seeks, by 2025, to "prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution".