India News | CISF's over 6,500-km Cycle Rally to Raise Awareness on Coastal Security Ends

New Delhi, Mar 31 (PTI) A 6,553 kms long cyclothon undertaken by CISF personnel along India's east and west coasts concluded on Monday with the paramilitary force spreading the message of coastal security and environmental conservation among 2.5 crore people, officials said.

The 125-member rally ended at Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu after the participants pedalled across 11 states and Union territories for 25 days.

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The cyclothon was flagged off by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on March 7 through a video link from the Ranipet district in Tamil Nadu during the 56th Raising Day event of the about two lakh-strong force.

"The rally made the coastal communities aware of the security threats confronting India's coastline like smuggling of drugs, weapons, and explosives and the necessity of vigilance against intrusion apart from the critical importance of environmental conservation in these ecologically sensitive zones," a spokesperson of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) said.

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He said the theme of the cyclothon was 'Surakshit Tat, Samriddh Bharat' (secure coasts, prosperous India) and the cyclists worked to strengthen collaboration and communication with other coastal security agencies and communities including fishermen.

India's over 7,000 kms long coastline on the eastern and western sides has about 250 ports including 72 major ports that handle 95 per cent of the country's trade by volume and 70 per cent by value.

"With 135 establishments related to space, defence, atomic energy, petroleum and shipping located along India's maritime border, the security of our coasts is crucial for India's economy and energy security," the spokesperson said.

"Our coastlines face serious national security challenges such as the threat of infiltration of explosives, weapons, drugs, and other smuggled goods," he said.

The CISF guards 12 major sea ports and a minor such facility.

The spokesperson said the rally reached out to more than 2.5 crore people, physically and through various social media platforms.

The 1969 raised force currently guards 68 civil airports of the country apart from providing a counter-terrorist security cover to a number of facilities in the nuclear and aerospace domain, private sector and historical monuments like the Taj Mahal and Red Fort.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)