Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam: 2,500 saplings planted at Tuticorin

As part of the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign launched by the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, 2,500 saplings were planted at Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, on 17 August 2026. The drive was an initiative of the Mercantile Marine Department, Chennai and the Mercantile Marine Department, Tuticorin, undertaken by the Hindustan Institute of Maritime Training (HIMT) under the aegis of the Directorate General of Maritime Administration, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The saplings were planted in prepared beds with irrigation channels on open land near the wind farms outside Tuticorin.

Capt. Anish Joseph, Principal Officer cum Joint Director General (Technical) (I/c), MMD Chennai, led the drive as Chief Guest. Shri S. Satyanarayana Murty, Engineer and Ship Surveyor cum Deputy Director General (Technical), MMD Tuticorin, joined as Guest of Honour. The HIMT team, officers and staff of the two Mercantile Marine Departments, and members of the local farming community planted the saplings together, with the villagers who tend the land taking the lead in the field.

The campaign invites every citizen to plant a tree in the name of their mother, and the maritime community has taken it up along the coast it serves. Seafarers and surveyors alike spend their working lives close to the sea and the weather, and a port town growing greener is a fitting contribution from that community to the environment on which its work depends.

The Directorate General of Maritime Administration featured the drive on its official page, recording it as a reflection of the maritime community's commitment to environmental responsibility and a greener future. The feature on the official page of the Directorate General of Maritime Administration can be viewed at https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dg-shipping-india_dgma-ekpedmaakename-mmdchennai-activity-7501576744970211328-hwj2
 

Plant a Tree. Honour a Mother. Nurture the Future.