Two more beaches located in India have been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag tag. Blue Flag certification is an eco-label that is recognized as the global address accorded based on 33 stringent criteria in four major heads. The four major heads are Bathing water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, conservation, and safety and services in the beaches. The environment ministry informed on Tuesday that by adding these two beaches the total number of beaches that are awarded The Blue Flag certification is overall 10 in India.
The two beaches that have been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag certification this year are Eden in Puducherry and Kovalam in Tamil Nadu. FEE – The Foundation For Environment Education, Denmark, which accords the Blue Flag certification has recently given recertification for the eight nominated beaches in India. Those 8 beaches in India are Shivrajpur in Gujarat, Ghoghla in Diu, Kasarkod and Padubidri in Karnataka, Kappad in Kerala, Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh, Golden in Odisha, and Radha Nagar in Andaman and Nicobar. This beach was awarded the Blue Flag certificate last year. The ministry has informed it recently. On October 6th, 2020 these eight beaches were awarded the Blue Flag certification.
Bhupendra Yadav, the minister of Union Environment showed his happiness for the development and he also said that India’s journey towards a clean and green India has reached another milestone successfully. The wish of a clean and green India which was led by prime minister Narendra Modi is developing day by day. Expressing his happiness Bhupender Yadav also tweeted, “happy to announce India now has 10 international Blue Flag beaches with the addition of a Kovalam and an Eden beaches this year and recertification for 8 beaches which got the tag and 2020. Another milestone in our journey towards a clean and green India letter by prime minister Shri @NarendraModi Ji.”
The beach which is awarded the Blue Flag tag is considered as an ecotourism model endeavoring to provide the tourist or the beachgoers a clean and hygienic bathing water, good facilities and also providing a safe and healthy environment with sustainable development of the area. According to the ministry the beaches awarded the Blue Flag certification are considered the cleanest beaches in the world. Talking about the recommendations of the beach the recommendations are done by an independent National jury. This jury includes many eminent scientists and environmentalists.
The international jury accords to the Blue Flag label. This international jury includes eminent members – United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Union For Conservation Of Nature (IUCN), and Denmark-based NGO Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).
And with this, it can be said that India has started its journey for a great development of coastal regions on World Environment Day in June 2018. Beach cleaning campaigns are launched such as I-AM-SAVING-MY-BEACH simultaneously in 13 coastal States. According to the sources of Hindustan Times, The ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, “the ministry of environment and its pursuit of sustainable development on the coastal regions of India, embarked upon a highly acclaimed and the flagship program BEAMS, which is one of the initiatives under its integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) approach to that the ministry has undertaken for sustainable development of coastal regions of India, with the prime objective to protect and conserve the pristine coastal and Marine ecosystems through holistic management of the resources”
The ministry is now giving the best and is committed to develop and provide a hundred more beaches under its ICZM initiative in the upcoming 5 years.
