Majhi urges people to keep Odisha coastline clean, protect blue economy

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Saturday appealed to people to keep the state’s coastline clean, saying the ocean is an integral part of its identity, heritage and way of life.

Majhi said a clean coastline would help build a thriving Blue Economy while protecting livelihoods and marine ecosystems.

“Let every hand that removes waste from our shores become a hand that protects a livelihood, and every clean beach a promise to our children,” he said in a social media post on International Coastal Cleanup Day.

“Let us keep Odisha’s shores clean, its oceans healthy and our coastal communities secure, while building a thriving blue economy that carries our timeless bond with the sea into a new future,” he added.

Majhi said the state’s coastline is more than a stretch of sand and sea.

“It is an integral part of Odisha’s identity, heritage and way of life. From the sacred shores of Puri to Gopalpur, from the mangroves of Bhitarkanika to the nesting grounds of Olive Ridley turtles, our coast carries stories, traditions and memories passed down generations,” he said.

The ‘Mahodadhi’, as the sea at Puri is referred to in the Puranas and scriptures, stands witness to the sacred land of Lord Jagannath and reflects the state’s enduring bond with nature, faith and its way of life, he said.

Majhi said the story of Odisha’s coast was ultimately the story of its people.

“For generations, our coastal communities, including fishers, boatmen, farmers, women, youth and countless families, have lived alongside the ‘Mahodadhi’. Protecting our coast is therefore not merely about preserving our shores; it is about safeguarding livelihoods, marine ecosystems and the future of our Blue Economy,” he said.

Majhi also lauded the Centre’s efforts to promote ocean clean-up initiatives, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a cleaner and more sustainable India through people’s participation had given renewed momentum to collective environmental action.

“Under the leadership of Union Minister for Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh and the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the ‘Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar’ campaign is bringing citizens, youth and coastal communities together to protect the shores and safeguard the oceans,” he said.