The Indian Coast Guard Station in Tuticorin organised a special community interaction programme in a coastal fishing village named Thalamuthu Nagar on Monday sensitizing fishermen on ‘Swachhta Hi Seva’ campaign. Coast Guard personnel interacted with local people telling them that the country is fighting a decisive battle for cleanliness and hygiene. The people in the village in Tuticorin district were made to understand the importance of public hygiene, personal hygiene and environmental hygiene. Cleanliness is not the responsibility of only sanitation personnel and government departments; it is a multi-stakeholder national movement, the villagers were told. People should make the effort to keep the houses, public places, villages and cities tidy. The aim is all-round cleanliness and hygiene everywhere, with implications for health and sanitation and overall prosperity of the people. Achieving the goals of the Swachh Bharat Mission expeditiously will be an appropriate tribute to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, the villagers were told during the interaction. According to Coast Guard sources, the platform was also utilised to explain the role of fishermen to maintain safety and security of coast to keep a close eye on strangers and suspicious activities along the coast and at sea. The officials also briefed them on the safety measures to be adopted while at sea. The fishermen were informed of initiating active measures in a timely manner in such situations. The fishermen were lauded for their participation in recently concluded Sagar Kavach Exercise and said that they needed to act as eyes and ears of the Indian Coast Guard. All personnel from ICGS Tuticorin and Coast Guard ships Vaibhav, and Aadesh participated in this event. In addition to the Coast Guard, marine police and officials from fisheries along with 50 students from Kamaraj College participated in the cleanliness programme.