BLUE FLAG BEACH

The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation

for Environmental Education that a beach,
marina or sustainable boating tourism operator
meets its stringent standards.
 FOUNDATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION
The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE)
is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation
promoting sustainable development through
environmental education.

Headquarters - Copenhagen, Denmark

 NOTES
A beach, marina or sustainable boating
tourism operator
 BLUE FLAG BEACH CRITERIA
1. Information relating to coastal zone ecosystems and
natural, sensitive areas in the coastal zone must be displayed
2. Information about bathing water quality must be displayed
3. Information about the Blue Flag Programme must be
displayed
4. Code of conduct for the beach area must be displayed
and the laws governing beach use must be easily available to
the public upon request
5. A minimum of 5 environmental education activities
must be offered
 BLUE FLAG BEACH CRITERIA
• Compliance with the requirements and standards for excellent
bathing water quality
• No industrial or sewage related discharges may affect the
beach area
• Monitoring on the health of coral reefs located in the vicinity
of the beach
• Compliance of the community with requirements for sewage
treatment and effluent quality
• Algae or other vegetation should be left to decay on the beach
unless it constitutes a nuisance
 INDIA WANTED THE BLUE FLAG
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change has launched pilot project ‘Blue Flag’ to develop
and enhance standards of cleanliness on beaches.

Under the pilot project, each of coastal state/UT was

requested to identify and nominate a beach, which is to
be funded through ongoing Integrated Coastal
Management Programme (ICMP).
 NOTES
• The Chandrabhaga beach on the Konark coast of
Odisha will be the first in Asia to get the Blue Flag
certification

• The beach was awarded the honour on World

Environment Day on June 5, Environment Ministry
 THE CHANDRABHAGA BEACH ON THE
KONARK COAST OF ODISHA

It is the site of the 13th-century Sun Temple, also known

as the Black Pagoda, built in black granite during the reign
of Narasimhadeva-I.

The temple is a World Heritage Site.

 Twelve more beaches in the country are being
developed by the Society for Integrated Coastal
Management (SICOM), an Environment Ministry’s
body working for the management of coastal areas,
in accordance with the Blue Flag standards.
 BEACHES

Among them are the Chiwla and Bhogave

beaches in Maharashtra and one beach each from
Puducherry, Goa, Daman and Diu,
Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands.