Eight beaches in India have been awarded the ‘Blue Flag’ certification but what is “Blue Flag” certification?
Blue flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education. It is a certification that a beach, marina or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its standards. This is awarded annually to member countries.
Here are the beaches that won the award from India:
1)Shivrajpur (Dwarka, Gujarat): It is 11 km away from Dwarka on Dwarka-Okha Highway. It is a beautiful beach with clear water and white sand.
2) Ghoghla beach (Diu): This is Diu’s largest beach and famous for its splendid view, cathedrals and fortresses. is located at about 15 km from the main town area of Diu.
3) Padubidri (Karnataka): It is a locality in Udupi City in Udupi District of Karnataka State. The beach is known to have solid management and water treatment plants.
4) Kappad beach (Kerala): It is located in Kerala’s Kozhikode district. The beach is one of the state’s tourist-attracted destinations due to coconut palms lining the coast and beautiful scenery.
5) Kasarkod (Karnataka): It is located near Honnavar in Uttara Kannada. This is one of the two beaches from Karnataka to win this award. It is a great place for sightseeing and the award is expected to increase the tourism industry in this area.
6) Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh): Rushikonda Beach located in Visakhapatnam on the coast of Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a horse-shoe shaped beach about 20 KM from Vizag. It attracts huge number of tourists from around the country.
7) Golden Beach (Odisha): Also famous as the Puri Beach, the Golden Beach is on the shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is 60 kilometer away from Bhubaneswar,Capital of Odisha. It is one of the most beautiful beaches of eastern India.
8) Radhanagar (Andaman and Nicobar Islands): Commonly known as Beach No. 7, Radhanagar Beach is one of the most famous attractions in Havelock Island and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands itself. It is easily accessible from Port Blair.