Eight Indian beaches get coveted Blue Flag certification

Eight beaches in India have been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag certification, the environment ministry said on Sunday. Terming it a "proud moment" for the country, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar (in pic) said the certification is a global recognition of India's conservation and sustainable development efforts.

The Blue Flag certification is a globally recognised eco-label accorded by "Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark". The Blue Flag beaches are considered the cleanest beaches of the world. A Blue Flag beach is an eco-tourism model endeavouring to provide the tourists or beachgoers clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities, safe and healthy environment and sustainable development of the area. (In pic: Golden Beach in Puri)

For Blue Flag certification, there are 33 stringent criteria under four major heads -- environmental education and information, bathing water quality, environmental management and conservation, and safety and services at the beaches. The recommendations are made by an independent national jury composed of eminent environmentalists and scientists from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Denmark-based NGO Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). (In pic: Kasarakod beach in Uttara Kannada district)

The beaches which have been awarded the certification are Shivrajpur in Gujarat, Ghoghla in Diu, Kasarkod and Padubidri in Karnataka, Kappad in Kerala, Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh, Golden in Odisha and Radhanagar in Andaman and Nicobar Islands (in pic). India has also been awarded the third prize by the jury under the "International Best Practices" for pollution control in coastal regions.

Japan, South Korea and the 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 five to six years.