Eight Indian beaches selected for coveted ‘Blue Flag’ eco-label
- In a first-of-its kind initiative, eight beaches of India have been recommended for the Blue flag certification.
What is Blue Flag certification
- The Blue Flag certificate is an internationally recognised eco-label given by ‘Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark’.
- Blue Flag beaches are considered the benchmark for clean and hygienic beaches in the world.
- This announcement was made by the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Prakash Javadekar on 18 September during a virtual event.
- The eight beaches selected for Blue flag certification are
- Shivrajpur in Gujarat,
- Ghoghla in Daman & Diu,
- Kasarkod in Karnataka
- Padubidri beach in Karnataka
- Kappad in Kerala,
- Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh,
- Golden beach of Odisha
- Radhanagar beach in Andaman and Nicobar
- The selection of the beaches was made by an independent national jury composed of eminent environmentalists and scientists.
India Launches its own eco-label ‘BEAMS’
- During the event, Union Minister Javadekar also announced the launch of India’s own eco-label ‘Beach Environment and Aesthetics Management Services’ (BEAMS).
- This initiative has been launched under its Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project.
- The project will be implemented by Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM), under MoEFCC
- BEAMS program aims to mitigate pollution in coastal waters, promote sustainable development of beach facilities, maintain high standards of cleanliness, hygiene & safety for beachgoers in accordance with coastal environment & regulations