BLUE-FLAG BEACHES
1.Context:
India now has "12 blue beaches", a certificate awarded by the prestigious international programme of cleanliness & environmental sustainability run by the global nonprofit Foundation for environmental education.
2.Blue Flag:
- Two beaches in Lakshadweep, have been accorded the "Blue Flag" tag, in the list of the world's cleanest & most eco-friendly beaches.
- The blue flag is an exclusive eco-label or certification given to coastal locations worldwide as a badge of environmental honour.
- The Blue Flag programme is run by the Copenhagen, Denmark-headquartered Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), which contributes to the US's Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).
- As per FEE, the iconic Blue Flag is one of the world's most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators.
- To qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety & accessibility criteria must be met & maintained.
- The Blue Flag programme started in 1987 in Europe.
- The certification is given by an international jury comprising members of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and FEE.
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A total of 5,042 beaches, marinas, and tourism boats in 48 countries have been awarded the label of Blue Flag.
A Marina is a small harbour where mainly pleasure boats & yachts dock.
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3.Beaches in India:
- The two beaches which are awarded the eco-label are Minicoy Thundi Beach & Kadmat beach, in Lakshadweep.
- The other 10 Indian beaches on the list as per the FEE site are:
- Shivrajpur in Gujarat's Devbhumi Dwaraka District
- Ghogla beach in Diu
- Kasarkod in Uttara Kannada
- Padubidri (Udupi) in Karnataka
- Kovalam in Chennai, Tamil Nadu
- Rushikonda in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
- Golden beach in Puri, Odisha
- Radhanagar Swarajdeep in Andaman & Nicobar
- Kappad in Kozhikode, Kerala
- Eden beach in Puducherry.
- Kovalam & Eden got the Blue Flag in 2021, whereas the other received the certification in 2020.
4.Do's & Don'ts:
An extraordinary Gazette Notification gave a list of permissible activities in the CRZ of the beaches, including islands, subject to maintaining a minimum distance of 10 meters from the High Tide Line (HTL), for blue flag certification.
- Portable toilet blocks
- Change rooms & shower panels
- Solid waste management plant
- Solar power plant
- Purified drinking water facility
- Beach access pathways
- Landscaping lighting
- Seating benches & sit-out umbrellas
- Cloakroom facility
- Safety watch towers & beach safety equipment
- Information boards & other signages
- Fencing
- Parking facilities
The notification said that these activities and facilities would be exempt from prior clearance under the provisions of CRZ Notification, Island Protection Zone Notification & Island Coastal Regulation Zone Notifications.
Source:indianexpress
