Eight beaches in India have received the “coveted” Blue Flag certification, the Union Minister for the Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar, announced in a tweet on Sunday.
Shivrajpur Beach in Dwarka, Gujarat; Ghoghla Beach in Diu; the beaches of Kasarkod and Padubidri in Karnataka; Kappad Beach in Kerala; Rushikonda Beach in Andhra Pradesh; Golden Beach in Odisha and Radhanagar Beach in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are now certified ‘Blue Flag’, he added.
Javadekar said it was a “proud and outstanding moment” for India, as no other Blue Flag country had received certification for eight beaches in a single attempt. But what is the Blue Flag certification and what is it awarded for? News18 explains.
What is the Blue Flag Certification?
The Blue Flag, awarded by the non-governmental organization (NGO) Foundation for Environmental Education, is a well-recognized voluntary eco-label awarded to a sustainable beach, marina, or boating tour operator that meets its standards. It is based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
A beach must meet 33 criteria, including environmental, educational, safety and accessibility criteria set by the FEE to obtain the label.
A Blue Flag beach, marina or boat operator is not only a place to give a sense of pride to the community and attract tourism, but also promotes environmental issues and awareness, says the website of the eco label.
The label is sought as an indication of high environmental standards. Last month eight beaches in India were recommended for the prestigious award. India was also awarded the third prize from the jury in the framework of “International Best Practices” for pollution control in coastal regions.
What are the criteria for certification?
The criteria are slightly different for a beach, a marina, and a sustainable nautical tourism operator. The four general categories are:
◐ Environmental education and information
◐ Water quality
◐ Environmental management
◐ Security and services
Several things must be completed under each criteria. For example, to ensure water quality, industrial or sewage discharges should not affect the beach area, and the health of the coral reefs located in the vicinity of the beach should also be guaranteed, among other things.
Information related to coastal zone ecosystems and sensitive natural areas in the coastal zone must be displayed to qualify for the ‘environmental education and information‘criteria.
To know the ‘environmental managementAccording to the criteria, facilities for receiving recyclable waste materials must be available on or near the beach and adequate and clean sanitary facilities with controlled wastewater disposal must also be available.
Finally, among the things listed for your ‘security and services‘criterion is the availability of an adequate number of lifeguards and / or rescue equipment. First aid kit should also be available on the beach.
More about the Foundation for Environmental Education
The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is the world’s largest environmental education organization, with members in 77 countries. The agency runs five programs: Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE), Learning about Forests (LEAF) and Green Key International.
What other countries have been certified?
So far, a total of 51 countries have received the notification. Spain has the highest number of Blue Flag beaches with 578, followed by Turkey, where 436 beaches are now eco-labeled. Italy and France also have more than 300 Blue Flag beaches.
Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates are the only other Asian nations to have been awarded a pair of Blue Flag beaches, yet in a time frame of roughly five to six years, reads a government statement.
India’s past actions in favor of the blue flag
In a notification from the Center in 2019, the Environment Ministry had identified 13 beaches across India for eco-labeling and announced a list of activities allowed in their areas for that purpose. These were:
◐ Container-based sanitary blocks, changing rooms, shower panels
◐ Mini gray water treatment plant enclosed in temporary structures
◐ Mini solid waste recycling plant enclosed in temporary structures
◐ Off-grid solar photovoltaic panels
◐ Kiosk of purified drinking water
◐ Access road from the beach to the bathing area made of interlocking cobblestones
◐ LED landscape lighting with properly cemented posts
◐ Benches to sit and portable umbrellas made of bamboo
◐ Outdoor kids play equipment
◐ Container-based CCTV control room and first aid station
◐ Watchtowers
◐ Beach information billboard boards and beach layout map billboard boards.
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