Indian beaches awarded with Blue Flag

Beaches of India have been awarded the “Blue Flag” by an International Jury comprising of eminent members from UNEP, UNWTO, FEE, IUCN.
Beaches: Shivrajpur (Dwarka-Gujarat), Ghoghla (Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Rushikonda (AP), Golden (Puri-Odisha) and Radhanagar (A&N Islands).
Accorded by: The Foundation of Environment Education (FEE) Denmark. India is also the first country in Asia-Pacific region which has achieved this feat in just about 2 years’ time.
India is now in the league of 50 Blue Flag countries.
SICOM, MoEFCC, carried out BEAMS – Beach Environment & Aesthetics Management Services under its Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project to strive for the International eco-label Blue flag.
The ‘Blue Flag’ is a certification that can be obtained by a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator.It serves as an eco-label.
The certification is known as an indication of high environmental and quality standards.
Blue Flag beaches are considered the cleanest beaches of the world.
The certification is awarded by the Denmark-based non-profit Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) with 33 stringent criteria under four major heads for the beaches: (i) Environmental Education and Information (ii) Bathing Water Quality (iii) Environment Management and Conservation and (iv) Safety and Services.