Eight beaches of India have been awarded the Blue Flag Certification.
The Blue Flag certification is the world's most prestigious and recognised eco-label award given by “Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark” for a clean and safe environment.
The Blue Flag certification award was announced by Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar.
The beaches include: Shivrajpur (Dwarka, Gujarat), Ghoghla (Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh), Golden Beach (Puri, Odisha) and Radhanagar (Andaman & Nicobar Islands).
WHAT IS BLUE FLAG?
India has become the first country in the world whose eight beaches have received the Blue Flag certification.
Blue Flag certification is given by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), a non-profit organisation promoting sustainable development through environmental education.
This certification is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators
The Blue Flag official website states: “In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained.”
The award is given by an international jury, comprising members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).
A total of 33 standards have been set for giving the Blue Flag certification, but some of them are standard heads, others are tested only after completion. Of all the criteria, some are voluntary and some are mandatory.
CRITERIA FOR BLUE FLAG CERTIFICATION
Water Quality
Garbage Disposal Facilities
Safety & Services
Enviromental Management
Life Guards
Animal Safety
Protection of Vegetation
Appropriate Public Safety Meassures
THE EIGHT ‘BLUE FLAG’ BEACHES
Shivrajpur:
Shivrajpur beach, located at a distance of 12 km from Dwarka, Gujarat. It is known for its clean water and white sand. It is just 15 minutes north of the Rukmani temple near Dwarka. The long, pristine beach stretches near the Shivrajpur village, between a lighthouse and a rocky shoreline.
Ghoghla:
Situated in the Ghoghla village, 15 km from the main city of Diu. The beach has been a centre of attraction among tourists. From housing a tourist complex with all necessary amenities to offering adventure sports like parasailing and water scooters, Ghoghla has it all. According to the state's official website, this coast is clean and safe, it can be visited on vacation with the family. It is the biggest beach in Diu.
Kasarkod:
This eco-beach of Karnataka is known for its white sand. It is located near the Honavar taluk of Uttara Kannada district. The beach was inaugurated in 2013, it has been developed as an eco-friendly picnic spot by the Tourism and Forest Department. It offers a picturesque holiday with casuarina plantations, children’s park, boating facility.
Padubidri:
Padubidri Beach of Udupi, developed as a model site, is one of the most beautiful and clean beaches in Karnataka. Padubidri is a small town, which falls on the way to Udupi-Mangalore. According to the official website here, several acres of the coast have been developed, including jetty construction, river protection work, water sports activity, jogging track, garden and water facility. This serene location offers a quiet and peaceful holiday, away from the crowd.
Kappad:
This beach is located in the Kozhikode district of Kerala. The rocks and small hills make this place more attractive. It is also known for the migratory birds. In 2019, this one-kilometre-long beach was revamped. It is said that in the year 1498, Vasco da Gama came on this beach. There are many facilities like jogging track, international standard washroom, rain shelters and installation of solar panels.
Rushikonda:
Situated on the banks of the Bay of Bengal in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, this beach is famous for golden sand and greenery. It attracts tourists from all over the country every year. This scenic beach offers water sports like swimming, water skiing, and windsurfing. It also offers facilities like bio-toilet, purified water, parking lot, solar treatment facilities, signage, walking and jogging tracks as well as solid waste management.
Golden:
Located in Puri, Odisha, this beach is famous for its golden sand, as per the name. It is extremely popular among pilgrims who come to visit the nearby Jagannath temple. The Indian artist Sudarshan Patnaik has created many of his sand arts on this beach.
Under the Blue Flag project, a stretch of about 900 metres near Hotel Mayfair and Gandhi Park was made a safe bathing zone disabled-friendly, and crime-free, apart from maintaining high-quality water, public toilets, solar lighting system, watchtowers, reported The New Indian Express.
Radhanagar:
Situated in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, this beach has been considered Asia's best and seventh best beach in the world by Time Magazine. The white sand, greenery and blue foam and white foam of Radhanagar coast attract the tourists.
(With inputs from The Indian Express)
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