New Delhi, 21st September: Kovalam in Tamil Nadu and Eden beach of Puducherry have been given the title of globally coveted international eco-label “Blue Flag”. This certification is due to the successful efforts being taken to protect and conserve pristine coastal and marine ecosystems.
The Foundation for Environment Education in Denmark (FEE), which provides the globally recognized eco-label Blue Flag certification, had earlier awarded the title to eight beaches in the country, including Shivrajpur from Gujarat, Ghoghala from Diu, Kasarkode and Padubidri from Karnataka, Kappad from Kerala, Rushikonda from Andhra Pradesh, Golden from Odisha and Radhanagar from Andaman and Nicobar. All these eight beaches have also been re-certified.
On this occasion, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav expressed happiness and congratulated everyone.
In a tweet on Tuesday, he said that this is another milestone in the journey of a clean and green India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
For Blue Flag, 33 stringent criteria have to be met
To get the Blue Flag, the beaches have to meet 33 standards ranging from cleanliness. The jury for awarding the prestigious international eco-label “Blue Flag” includes members from UNESCO, UNWTO, UNEP, IUCN etc. FEE, Denmark has developed 33 strict compliance standards, which include cleanliness, disposal of marine waste, care of the flora there, protecting the interests of the stakeholders. For this, the efforts being made in the beaches are regularly monitored and audited, and then the “Blue Flag” is waving.
