News: Eight beaches from India have received the ‘coveted’ Blue Flag certification.
Facts:
- Which are those Eight Beaches? The eight Indian beaches that have received the Blue Flag certification are:
- Shivrajpur Beach in Dwarka, Gujarat
- Ghoghla Beach in Diu
- Kasarkod and Padubidri beaches in Karnataka
- Kappad Beach in Kerala
- Rushikonda Beach in Andhra Pradesh
- Golden Beach in Odisha and
- Radhanagar Beach in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Additional Facts:
- Blue flag certification: It is an international recognition conferred on beaches that meet certain criteria of cleanliness and environmental propriety.
- Who gives the certification: The certification programme is run by international, non-governmental, non-profit organisation FEE (the Foundation for Environmental Education).
- Criteria: 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.
- Headquarters: Copenhagen, Denmark.
