The first leg of the ‘Sagar Parikrama’ will commence on March 5th, 2022. Oceans, which encompass about three-quarters of the earth’s surface, provide a gigantic arena for increasingly complex and interwoven development challenges such as livelihoods, climate change, trade, and security. The economics, security, and livelihoods of the Indian Ocean’s coastal states are all dependent on it. The country has an 8118-kilometer coastline that spans nine marine states and four UTs, giving livelihood support to millions of coastal fishermen. On the occasion of the 75th Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava, it is intended to hold the “Sagar Parikrama” program, which honors our great independence fighters, sailors, and fishermen.
The first leg of the ‘Sagar Parikrama’ will commence on March 5th, 2022, and will last two days. As part of the 75th “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava,” the Sagar Parikrama program is proposed to be celebrated in all coastal states/UTs along a pre-determined sea route down from Gujarat, Diu, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar, and Lakshadweep Islands to interact with fishermen, fisher communities, and stakeholders. It’s one of the governments of India’s major endeavors to honor and celebrate the country’s 75 years of independence, as well as the wonderful history of its people, culture, and achievements.
Gujarat will be the starting point for the “Sagar Parikrama.” The Bardoli Satyagraha, which took place on June 12, 1928, in Gujarat, India, during the British Raj, was a major act of civil disobedience and insurrection in the Indian Independence Movement. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel eventually headed the movement, and its success helped pave the way for Patel to become one of the most important leaders of the independence movement, particularly when it came to settling farmers’ difficulties. Gujarat’s coastline stretches for 1214 kilometers, encompassing 16 coastal districts with a wide range of marine ecosystems and development potential. Fishermen, merchants, and industries all have a direct interest in the economic success of the fisheries sector, particularly exports.
Sagar Parikrama will begin on 5th March
The trip Sagar Parikrama Phase-I program will begin on March 5, 2022, in Mandvi and terminate on March 6, 2022, in Porbandar. The full distance will be covered from Mandvi on the Arabian Sea coast in Gujarat’s Kutch region, where the river Rukmavati meets the Gulf of Kutch, to the estuary where the river Rukmavati meets the Gulf of Kutch.
On March 5, 2022, the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, and National Fisheries Development Board, in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, Government of Gujarat, Indian Coast Guard, Fishery Survey of India, Gujarat Maritime Board, and fishermen representatives, will hold the ‘Sagar Parikrama- starting from Mandvi at Shyamiji Krishna Varma Memorial, Gujarat.
Shri Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying; Shri Raghavjibhai Patel, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Cow-breeding, Government of Gujarat; Shri Jitubhai Chaudhari, State Minister of Kalpsar and Fisheries; Shri Jatindra Nath Swain, Secretary (Fisheries), Government of India; Shri Nalin Upadhyay, Secretary (Fisher State Fisheries officials, Fishermen representatives, Fish-Farmers entrepreneurs, stakeholders, professionals, bureaucrats, and scientists from across the country will accompany the tour.
During the ceremony, progressive fishermen, particularly coastal fishermen, fishers and fish farmers, young fishery entrepreneurs, would be awarded certificates/sanctions connected to the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampadha plan, KCC, and State Scheme. Print media, electronic media, videos, and digital campaigns using jingles will be used to spread literature on the PMMSY scheme, State schemes, FIDF, KCC, and other schemes among fishermen. The 75th Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava will also feature a song about the Sagar Parikrama. In the following phases, the program would be replicated in other Gujarat districts and other states/UTs.
The Indian government is at the forefront of transforming the fisheries sector and developing fisheries management plans and a regulatory framework to promote sustainable and responsible development through an ecosystem approach. The Sagar Parikrama will focus on achieving a sustainable balance between the nation’s food security, the livelihoods of coastal fisher communities, and the protection of marine ecosystems through the use of marine fisheries resources.