Pariksha SaathiSwachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar 5.0 concludes on International Coastal Cleanup Day
Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar 5.0, the Ministry of Earth Sciences' annual drive for cleaner beaches and healthier oceans, wrapped up on International Coastal Cleanup Day after a week of activities from 12 to 19 September 2026. Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, had launched this fifth edition on 1 September. Cleanup drives were organised at more than 100 beach locations along India's 11,098-km coastline, supported by human chains, cycling rallies, marathons and other events meant to bring citizens on board. This year's additions were India's first national Ocean Olympiad for young people, a dedicated campaign website and an online pledge portal for ocean conservation. The campaign runs under the ministry's PRITHVI scheme, which combines public participation with scientific work on seawater quality, marine litter and coastal hazards such as shoreline erosion. It started in 2022 as a 75-day inter-ministerial effort and has since been held every year around Coastal Cleanup Day, with government institutions, volunteers, NGOs, students and community groups taking part.
Drafted with AI assistance from a live web search; a second AI pass confirmed the official link above and checked a sample of the facts against it. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
The 11,098-km figure is India's re-assessed coastline. The National Hydrographic Office, working with the Survey of India, re-measured it at 11,098.81 km, up from the long-used 7,516.6 km, using modern GIS tools and high-resolution High-Water Line data; the revised length was promulgated by a Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways circular dated 29 April 2025. On the new figures, Gujarat has the longest coastline (2,340.62 km), followed by Tamil Nadu (1,068.69 km) and Andhra Pradesh (1,053.07 km).
Reference: Ministry of Earth Sciences reply in Parliament on India's coastline (December 2025)
Check yourself: did India's coastline increase to about 11,098 km because the land itself changed?
No. The increase reflects a finer measurement method that captures more intricate details of the shoreline, not a physical change. The revision also does not alter Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) boundaries, which depend on the demarcated High Tide Line.
Revision task: separate this year's campaign facts (edition, dates, new features such as the Ocean Olympiad) from the standing facts — the campaign's start in 2022 and the revised coastline length it cites.
Test yourself
Which ministry leads the 'Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar' coastal-cleanup campaign, under its PRITHVI scheme?
Show the answer
Answer: Ministry of Earth Sciences
The Ministry of Earth Sciences leads 'Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar' under its PRITHVI scheme; the 2026 edition (SSSS 5.0) ran 12-19 September and concluded on International Coastal Cleanup Day.
Read the daily collection → · Editorial standards & corrections