Blue Flag Certificate Awarded To 8 Indian Beaches

In what is surely a proud moment for India, 8 Indian Beaches get the coveted Blue Flag Certification

The beaches to get the Blue Flag Certificate are selected by an eminent international jury. The jury comprises of members of the UN Environment Programme, UN World Tourism Organisation, Foundation for Environmental Education and IUCN.

Eight beaches in India have been awarded the coveted ‘Blue Flag’ certification by an eminent international jury, which comprises members of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The selected beaches are Kappad (Kerala), Shivrajpur (Gujarat), Ghoghla (Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh), Golden (Odisha) and Radhanagar (Andaman & Nicobar Islands).

Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar on Sunday (October 11) said:

“It is an outstanding feat considering that no ‘Blue Flag’ nation has ever been awarded for 8 beaches in a single attempt…this is also a global recognition of India’s conservation and sustainable development efforts”.

Earlier this year, the Centre issued an Extraordinary Gazette Notification declaring a list of activities and facilities that would be permissible in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas of certain beaches. This has been identified for obtaining the ‘Blue Flag’ certification.

What is Blue Flag Certificate?

The ‘Blue Flag’ is a certification that can be obtained by any beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator. It also serves as an eco-label. The certification is awarded by the Denmark-based non-profit Foundation for Environmental Education. It sets stringent environmental, educational, safety-related and access-related criteria that applicants must meet and maintain. It is awarded annually to beaches and marinas in FEE member countries.

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The Blue Flag programme was started in France in 1985 and in areas out of Europe in 2001. The programme promotes sustainable development in freshwater and marine areas. It follows four main criteria: water quality, environmental management, environmental education and safety.

Forty-seven countries currently participate in the program, and 4,573 beaches, marinas, and boats have this certification.

In its July 2019 notification, the Environment Ministry identified the following beaches in India for Blue Flag certification: Shivrajpur (Devbhumi Dwarka, Gujarat), Bhogave (Sindhudurg, Maharashtra), Ghoghla (Diu, Daman and Diu), Miramar (Panjim, Goa), Kasarkod (Karwar, Karnataka), Padubidri (Udupi, Karnataka), Kappad (Kozhikode, Kerala), Eden (Puducherry), Mahabalipuram (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu), Rushikonda (Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh), Golden (Puri, Odisha), and Radhanagar (Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar).