8 Beaches of India Get ‘Blue Flag’ Certification

The Ministry of Environment on Sunday informed that 8 beaches of India have been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag certification.

It is a proud moment for India as 8 beaches of India, spread across five states and two union territories, have been awarded the “BLUE FLAG” by an International Jury comprising of eminent members viz UNEP, UNWTO, FEE, IUCN.

India has also been awarded the 3rd Prize by the International Jury under the “International Best Practices” for pollution control in coastal regions.

“It is an outstanding feat considering that no ‘BLUE FLAG’ nation has ever been awarded for 8 beaches in a single attempt,” Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Prakash Javadekar said in a tweet message adding “this is also a global recognition of India’s conservation and sustainable development efforts”.

Proud moment for India; all 8 beaches recommended by government gets coveted International #Blueflag Certification.@narendramodi pic.twitter.com/j38BTnibl0

— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) October 11, 2020

The beaches that have been awarded the ‘BLUE FLAG” are Shivrajpur (Dwarka-Gujarat), Ghoghla (Diu), Kasarkod, and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Rushikonda (AP), Golden (Puri-Odisha), and Radhanagar (A&N Islands).

• Of the 8 beaches, one is Shivrajpur beach in Dwarka, Gujarat – Located at 12 km from Dwarka, Shivrajpur Beach is a beautiful beach with clear water and white sand.

• Another one is Ghoghla beach in Diu – Golden sand beach in the village of Ghoghla is Diu’s largest beach famous for its splendid view.

• Kasarkod Beach in Karnataka – The white sand beach, also known as Eco beach, has been developed as an eco-friendly picnic spot.

• Kappad Beach – Locally known as Kappakadavu is a beach in the district of Kozhikode in Kerala. It is said that Vasco da Gama landed here at this beach in 1498.

• Rushikonda Beach, Andhra Pradesh – Famous for its golden sands, this beach, situated at around 8 km from Vizag city, is also a spot for water sports.

• Padubidri Beach, Karnataka – Developed as a model site, Udupi’s Padubidri Beach is one of the most beautiful and cleanest beaches in Karnataka.

• Golden Beach, Odisha – Also known as the Puri Beach, this incredibly beautiful golden sand beach is famous for the works of sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik. The beach is also popular with pilgrims who come to Lord Jagannath temple located nearby.

• Radhanagar Beach, Andaman & Nicobar Islands – Recognised as the best beach in Asia and 7th best beach in the world by Time Magazine in 2004, Radhanagar beach’s view is a sight to behold. 

“India is also the first country in the “Asia-Pacific” region which has achieved this feat in just about 2 years’ time,” Shri Javadekar further stated in another tweet.

Japan, South Korea, and UAE are the only other Asian nations who have been conferred with a couple of Blue Flag beaches, however, in a time frame of about 5 to 6 years!

India is now in the league of 50 “BLUE FLAG” countries and we take pride in this honor to our Nation, planning to take this journey forward to 100 such beaches in the country in the next five years.

India began its humble journey in 2018 for the development of pilot beaches (one each in coastal states/UTs) and presented the first set of 08 beaches for the certification for the ensuing tourist season 2020.

SICOM, MoEFCC, in its pursuit of “Sustainable Development” of the coastal regions of India embarked upon a highly acclaimed & flagship program “BEAMS” (Beach Environment & Aesthetics Management Services) under its ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) project. This was aimed at striving for the coveted International eco-label “Blue flag”, accorded by The Foundation of Environment Education, FEE Denmark.

The objective of the BEAMS program is to abate pollution in coastal waters & beaches, promote sustainable development of beach amenities/ facilities, protect & conserve coastal ecosystems & natural resources and encourage local authorities & stakeholders to strive and maintain high standards of cleanliness, hygiene, safety and security for beachgoers in accordance with coastal environment norms & regulations. This program promotes beach tourism and recreation in absolute harmony with nature and is unique in that sense.

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