January 28, 2002

    Coastal zone management is to be further strengthened to make it more effective for fuller utilisation by the user agencies, particularly the fishing community. 40 to 50 percent of our population live in coastal areas of the country and improving their lot is an important component of the coastal zone management programme. This was stated by Dr. Harsh Gupta, Secretary, Department of Ocean Development while presiding over a seminar in Hindi on "Coastal Zone Management", here today. Through a network programme the fishermen are advised about potential areas for greater exploitation of marine living resources and enhancing their earnings, he said. This was the 10^th National Scientific Hindi Seminar organised by the Department of Ocean Development to make common man understand scientific issues through the national language.

    The Secretary, Department of Official Language, Shri M. Shankar who inaugurated the seminar, highly appreciated the efforts made by the Department of Ocean Development in bringing out original works in Hindi on scientific topics, by organising such seminars. He said other departments should also take up such programmes. He released two books – Sagar Soochna and Samudra Vigyan ke Do Dastak to mark the occasion. The book ‘Sagar Ki Sampada’ written by Dr. D.D. Ojha received a prize of Rs. 10,000. Twenty scientists and professors from both Hindi-speaking and non-Hindi speaking areas participated in the seminar.