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Blue Flag Certification
Why in news
- The Union Environment Ministry has selected 12 beaches in India as eligible candidates for a ‘Blue Flag’ certification.
- The Blue Flag certification is an international recognition conferred on beaches that meet certain criteria of cleanliness and environmental propriety.
More in news
- The beaches shorted listed are at Shivrajpur (Gujarat), Bhogave (Maharashtra), Ghoghla (Diu), Miramar (Goa), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Eden (Puducherry), Mamallapuram (Tamil Nadu), Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh), Golden (Odisha), and Radhanagar (Andaman & Nicobar Islands).
- 33 criteria to qualify for a Blue Flag certification
(1) Some of these are - waste disposal facilities, disabled-friendly facilities, first aid equipment and no access to pets in the main areas of the beach.
(2) Some criteria are voluntary and some compulsory.
(3) India is set to apply for certification for two beaches, at Shivrajpur and Ghogla.
(4) Beaches are given the qualification for a year and must apply annually to continue meriting the right to fly the flag at their locations.
- Efforts undertaken by the Ministry to back the candidates
(1) They have allowed structures such container toilet blocks, change rooms, shower panels, mini greywater treatment plants in an enclosed structure.
(2) Mini solid waste recycling plants.
(3) Off-grid solar photovoltaic panels to come up, provided they are a minimum 10 metres from the high tide line.
- About The Blue Flag Programme
(1) The programme is for beaches and marinas run by the international, non-governmental, non-profit organisation FEE (the Foundation for Environmental Education).
(2) It started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987, and in areas outside Europe since 2001.
(3) When South Africa joined. Japan and South Korea are the only countries in South and southeastern Asia to have Blue Flag beaches.
(4) Spain tops the list with 566 such beaches; Greece and France follow with 515 and 395, respectively.
Source
The Hindu