Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar 5.0 Launched for Ocean Cleanup

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh launched the fifth edition of Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar on 1 September 2026. The campaign is written as SSSS v.5.0 in official papers. It is run by the Ministry of Earth Sciences and has grown over four earlier editions from a government drive into a people's movement, under the idea of Jan Bhagidari.

Dates and scale

The campaign runs for a week, from 12 to 19 September 2026. The Minister said India has one of the longest coastlines in the world, stretching over 11,000 km from the eastern to the western side of the country. He drew the campaign's inspiration from two sources: the Swachh Bharat vision, and the Deep Ocean Mission launched by the Prime Minister.

What the week will hold

The Ocean Olympiad is the notable first of this edition. It is meant to build environmental awareness among students and young people, and citizens can register for it and test what they know about the seas.

Digital launches

On the same day the Minister released a dedicated official pledge on ocean conservation, the SSSS v.5.0 website, an introductory video and a video setting out the schedule of activities. A mobile application named SAGAR PRAHARI is available for the campaign, so a participant can follow the programme, find beach locations and stay connected through the week.

Who the campaign asks for

The Ministry brings together citizens, students, young people, coastal communities and volunteer bodies for the drive. The Minister asked people to take the ocean conservation pledge with their families and friends, and to encourage their schools, colleges, organisations and neighbourhoods to do the same. His appeal was that the year's campaign should become a large movement of public participation, so that shores stay clean and the seas are protected. For an aspirant this is a familiar pattern of question: the edition, the ministry, the dates, the theme of participation and the one new element, which here is the Ocean Olympiad.