The eight Indian beaches that received this label are Shivrajpur (Dwarka, Gujarat), Ghoghla (Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh), Golden Beach (Puri, Odisha) and Radhanagar (Andaman and Nicobar Islands).
Blue Flag beaches are considered the cleanest in the world. To qualify for this label, beaches must meet 33 strict criteria related to the environment, bathing water quality, education, safety, services, and accessibility standards.
“It is an outstanding feat considering that no ‘Blue Flag’ nation has been awarded eight beaches in a single attempt,” said the Union’s Environment Minister. Prakash Javadekar when announcing the decision of the International Jury.
He said: “This is also a global recognition of India’s sustainable development and conservation efforts … India is also the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to have achieved this feat in about two years.”
The Union Ministry of the Environment sent the list of these eight beaches to the International Jury last month, seeking the Blue Flag certification awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The jury, which takes a final call for this certification, is made up of eminent members of the United Nations Environment Program, the World Tourism Organization, FEE and IUCN.
More than 4,600 beaches, marinas and boats from around 50 countries have, so far, obtained Blue Flag certification. Spain has the highest number of Blue Flag tagged sites. India, which began working towards the label in 2018, has plans to expand the Blue Flag certification network to 100 such beaches in the country in the next five years.
To achieve this goal, the ministry of the environment had launched India’s own eco-label ‘BEAMS’ (Beach Environment and Aesthetic Management Services) last month as part of its Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project.
In addition to the Blue Flag label for its eight beaches, India has also been awarded a third prize from the International Jury under “Best International Practices” for pollution control in coastal regions. Certification of this type is considered important for tourism as this label attracts both national and international tourists to these beaches.
As part of its pilot projects to embark on the Blue Flag certification program, India had initially identified 13 beaches including Bhogave (Maharashtra), Kovalam (Tamil Nadu), Eden (Puducherry), Miramar (Goa) and Bangaram (Lakshadweep). But the names of these five were later removed at the recommendation stage as Indian experts found that one or other relevant rating parameters were missing on these beaches. “These five are expected to meet the relevant standards before the next round of recommendations,” said an official.
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