Coast Guard and Auroville to strengthen coastal protection in the region

The Indian Coast Guard unit in Puducherry and Auroville will collaborate on initiatives to empower youth and fisher communities and strengthen coastal protection measures across the region.

According to a press note, after an interaction between senior officials from the Indian Coast Guard and the Auroville Foundation, it was decided to implement a six-point charter focused on youth development and enhancing community engagement.

DIG S. S. Dasila, District Commander, Indian Coast Guard, Puducherry and Central Tamil Nadu, Chunauti Sharma, Assistant Commandant, G. Seetharaman, Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Auroville Foundation, Venugopal and Koshy Varghese, consultants, Auroville Foundation participated in the meeting.

Mr. Dasila highlighted the Coast Guard’s ongoing community interaction programmes for fishermen and initiatives aimed at safeguarding their lives and livelihoods and noted that a stronger collaboration with the Auroville would amplify training, awareness, and safety measures.

With several institutions affiliated with the Auroville Foundation under the Ministry of Education, discussions focused on motivating youth to join the nation’s uniformed services.

The ICG officials pointed to the convergence of the core value of “nation first” that the Coast Guard and Auroville and Sri Aurobindo institutions, which adhere to the vision of The Mother, shared.

One of the key areas of focus was the ongoing coastal cleanliness and environmental awareness programme along the Puducherry shoreline, including areas near Pondicherry University and Auroville Beach. These initiatives involve school and college students, NGO volunteers, government bodies and local residents and seek to reinforce civic responsibility and a culture of environmental stewardship.

The discussions also explored how Auroville’s cultural values and its unique educational model continue to positively influence the younger generation besides encouraging them to contribute actively to nation-building and community well-being.

Mr. Dasila also outlined the Coast Guard’s collaboration with Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), noting recent training programmes in Puducherry related to disaster relief.