Operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education, Denmark, Blue Flag is an iconic voluntary award for beaches, marinas and sustainable boating tourism operators that is awarded to those who meet and maintain the criteria of a number of strict environmental, educational requirements , security and accessibility. In a first, eight of India’s beaches, including Shivrajpur (Dwarka-Gujarat), Ghoghla (Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Rushikonda (AP), Golden Beach (Odisha) and Radhanagar ( A&N Islands) earned the Blue Flag eco-label in a row.
Taking his Twitter account, the Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar broke the news that not only did India gain international recognition for coastal cleanup and development, but also became the first Blue Flag nation. to receive eight beaches. He tweeted: “An exceptional feat as no #BLUEFLAG nation has ever been awarded 8 beaches in a single attempt (sic).” He added: “Proud moment for India; the 8 beaches recommended by the government earn the coveted international #Blueflag (sic) certification. “
While interacting with the media, Javadekar shared: “The #Blueflag certification awarded to the 8 beaches of India by an international jury made up of @IUCN, @UNWTO, @UNEP, etc. is also a global recognition of conservation efforts and sustainable development of India (sic). “A statement issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change revealed that India has also been awarded a third prize from the International Jury under” Best International Practices “for pollution control in coastal regions.
While Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have been awarded a pair of Blue Flag beaches in a period of time of approximately 5 to 6 years, Javadekar declared India to be the first country in the “Asia- Pacifico “which has accomplished this feat in just about 2 years and is now in the 50-country league of” BLUE FLAG “.
Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter
.
