Eight Indian beaches have an International Blue Flag Certification, said the Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar on Sunday (11 October 2020). India also received the 3rd international jury award for ‘Best International Practice’ for pollution control in coastal regions.

The Blue Flag is a certification that a beach, marina or a touristic and sustainable boat operator meets international preservation standards.

The beaches that received the Blue Flag are:

Shivrajpur (Gujarat)

Shivrajpur is a city in Kanpur Nagar district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is under the Kanpur Metropolitan Area. Tecson India solution. The city is connected by the National Highway with the Kanpur railway station to the Farrukhabad North Central Railway line, where fast and super fast trains are available to Mathura, Agra, Delhi, Meerut, Bilhaur. This city is directly connected by the National Highway NH 91 to the city of Kanpur. In addition, Shivrajpur has a direct highway to Lucknow via the new Ganga Bridge.

Ghoghla (Diu)

Ghoghla beach, north of the city of Diu, is the best beach on the island. Long strip of sand, less garbage and fewer people than other beaches nearby, as well as gentle waves and one or two restaurants. Away from the area near the access roads, the beach stretches for kilometers before gradually merging with the sand dunes.

Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka)

Kasarkod is a village in the state of Karnataka in southern India. It is located in the Honavar taluk of the Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka.

Padubidri is on the route from Udupi to Mangalore. Federal highway 17 (now NH 66) passes through Padubidri. Padubidri is famous for the Dakkebali ritual, held every two years. This ritual is performed in odd series of years 2005, 2007 and so on. The Nandikoor thermal power plant, also known as Udupi, is nearby.

Buses from Mangalore to Udupi and Karkala connect the three main cities on the way to Padubidri. The nearest airport is in Bajpe, which is a 45-minute drive away. There is a train station in Padubidri on the Konkan railway route, but it is actually a bit far from the city of Padubidre in Paniyoor, Nandikoor is the nearest train station.

Kappad (Kerala)

Kappad , or Kappakadavu locally, is a beach near Koyilandy, in the Kozhikode district, Kerala, India.

A stone monument installed by the government commemorates Vasco da Gama’s “landing” with the inscription, ‘Vasco da Gama landed here, Kappakadavu, in the year 1498’.

In 2007, an Rs. A 1.5 crore program to beautify the beach has been launched by the [Kerala] Minister of Tourism, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. Now it is finished and Kappad beach has a corniche and a park. The park includes a bathroom, restaurant and seating. [2]

The nearest main railway station is Koyilandy, about 10 km from Kappad. The nearest airport is Calicut International Airport (CCJ), which is about 25 km from the city of Kozhikode. Private transport buses are available at the main bus stop, or visitors can reach the beach by stopping at Thiruvangoor on National Route 66 between Kozhikode and Vadakara.

Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh)

Rushikonda Beach located in Visakhapatnam, on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The beach is maintained by the state tourism agency.

Golden (Odisha)

Golden beach is a beach located in the city of Puri, in the state of Odisha, India. It is located on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. It is known for being a tourist attraction and a Hindu sacred place. The beach is the site of the annual Puri Beach Festival, which is co-sponsored by the Indian Ministry of Tourism, the city of Odisha, the Handicraft Development Commissioner and the Zonal Oriental Cultural Center, Calcutta. The beach offers sand art exhibits, including works by the award-winning international sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik.

Radhanagar (Andaman and Nicobar Islands)

Radhanagar Beach on the west coast, also known as Number 7 Beach, is one of Havelock’s most popular beaches and was named “Best Beach in Asia” by Time in 2004.

You can reach the island by government ferries and private cruises. There are also helicopter services.
A local bus connects the Port Blair pier and the villages in an hourly circuit.

These eight beaches were awarded by an International Jury composed of eminent members such as the United Nations Environment Program, the World Tourism Organization, the Foundation for Environmental Education and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

India also received the 3rd international jury award for ‘Best International Practice’ for pollution control in coastal regions.

Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates are the only other Asian nations that have received some Blue Flag beaches, however, in a period of about 5 to 6 years!

India is now in the league of 50 countries with ‘BLUE FLAG’ and is planning to make this journey to 100 of these beaches in the country in the next five years.