An international jury comprising eminent members viz UNEP, UNWTO, FEE and IUCN has awarded the Blue Flag to eight beaches of India. The ‘Blue Flag’ is a certification that can be obtained by a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator, and serves as an eco-label. The certification is awarded by the Denmark-based non-profit Foundation for Environmental Education, which sets stringent environmental, educational, safety-related and access-related criteria that applicants must meet and maintain. It is awarded annually to beaches and marinas in FEE member countries.

Spread across five states and two union territories, these beaches are at (Dwarka-Gujarat), Ghoghla (Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Rushikonda (AP), Golden (Puri-Odisha) and Radhanagar (A&N Islands). India has also been awarded a third Prize by the international jury under the “International Best Practices” for pollution control in coastal regions.

Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar on Sunday (October 11) said: “It is an outstanding feat considering that no ‘Blue Flag’ nation has ever been awarded for 8 beaches in a single attempt…this is also a global recognition of India’s conservation and sustainable development efforts”.

Japan, South Korea and the UAE are the 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. India has received the award in a single attempt.

India is now in the league of 50 Blue Flag countries and plans to take this journey forward to 100 such beaches in the country in the next five years. India began its humble journey in 2018 for development of pilot beaches (one each in coastal states/UTs) and presented the first set of 08 beaches for the certification for the ensuing tourist season 2020.