Countless Lives Depend Upon The Ocean | Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar (E)
India's coastline of more than 7,500 km reflects our vast ocean resources. Most importantly, the Indian Ocean is the only ocean named after a country, that is, India. Litter especially in the form of plastics in the marine environment are a major concern and growing international problem and a number of studies have shown their harmful impact on marine biodiversity, ecosystems, fisheries, human health and economy. Usually, wastes from land-based sources make up the major share of marine litter. In this context, India, being a signatory of the UN "Coastal Clean Seas" campaign, a number of activities have been adopted that have direct relevance with the "Swachh Bharat" vision and has proved highly useful. These initiatives are a broad approach to support efforts 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”.
