Blue Flag Certification for beaches

News:Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change has informed Rajya Sabha about the implementation of Blue Flag Certification for select beaches in the country. 

Facts:

About Blue flag Certification:

• The Blue Flag certification is given to environmental- friendly, clean beaches, marinas which are equipped with amenities of international standards for tourists.
• The certification programme is run by international, non-governmental, non-profit organisation FEE (the Foundation for Environmental Education).
• The programme was started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987 and in areas outside Europe since 2001.
• The certification is based on 33 stringent criteria in four major heads (i) Environmental Education and Information (ii) Bathing Water Quality, (iii) Environment Management and Conservation and (iv) Safety and Services in the beaches. 
• Spain has the highest number of Blue Flag beaches followed by, Greece and France.Japan and South Korea are the only countries in Asia to have Blue Flag beaches.

Blue flag programme in India:

• The Union Environment Ministry has selected 13 beaches in India to compete for the ‘Blue Flag’ certification.
• The 13 beaches are Ghoghla Beach (Diu), Shivrajpur beach (Gujarat), Bhogave (Maharashtra), Padubidri and Kasargod (Karnagaka), Kappad beach (Kerala), Kovalam beach (Tamil Nadu), Eden beach (Puducherry), Rushikonda beach (Andhra Pradesh), Miramar beach (Goa), Golden beach (Odisha), Radhanagar beach (Andaman & Nicobar Islands) and Bangaram beach (Lakshadweep) and Rushikonda beach(Andhra Pradesh).