CHENNAI: It is everyone’s duty to respect and protect the sea just like protecting Motherland, said Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying L Murugan on Saturday.

Taking part in the Beach Cleanliness Movement event held at the Besant Nagar beach on the occasion of International Coastal Cleanup Day, he said despite the pandemic, the production of marine products was high.

“Mother sea should be respected and protected like our Motherland. We should provide natural resources for our future generations. So we have the responsibility to keep the sea and the coast safe,” he added.

The events were jointly organised by Department of Earth Sciences, Department of Fisheries, Youth Welfare Department, National Services Scheme, National Institute of Ocean Technology, Indian Coast Guard, Department of Environment and Climate Change,Tamil Nadu government, Greater Chennai Corporation, CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre and the Central Leather Research Institute.

Murugan also flagged off and participated in a marathon at the Elliots beach.

Clean environment ensures healthy life: Tamilisai

Meanwhile in Puducherry, Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan called upon the people to ensure clean environment. Kick-starting International Coastal Cleanup programme on Puducherry beach, the Lt Governor said, “A healthy life would emerge out of people’s attention and care to have a clean environment.”

She said Prime Minister Modi, whose birthday was being celebrated on Saturday, was keen that a clean environment should be established and he had therefore launched the Swachch Bharath programme.

Soundararajan and Assembly Speaker R Selvam volunteered to pick up the garbage on the beach. She also distributed prizes to students who won competitions conducted by the Department of Education.

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