Tech-driven project launched in Vizag to tackle marine littering

The Ministry of Earth Sciences on Saturday launched the pilot phase of the National Initiative for Remediation of Marine Litter (NIRMaL Sāgar), India’s first integrated marine litter tracking framework, in Visakhapatnam aimed at combating coastal and ocean pollution.

Inaugurated at the Andhra University Auditorium near RK Beach, the launch marked the culmination of the week-long Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar 5.0 campaign.

Ministry Secretary T. Srinivasa Kumar formally launched the programme, with Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh addressing the gathering virtually. Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat and other senior civil, naval, and academic dignitaries were also in attendance.

According to Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) Director T.M. Balakrishnan Nair, the framework integrates satellite remote sensing, ocean modeling, and artificial intelligence-enabled tools. These technologies will map marine litter hotspots, track debris movement, and forecast accumulations to direct focused clean-up operations.