Soon, Shivrajpur will be India’s first beach to get ‘Blue Flag’ certification, the world’s most acclaimed voluntary label for environment friendly beaches.
For international tourists, especially those from the US and Europe, “Blue Flag” is a popular tag as it certifies that the beach is safe for swimming and maintains a high level of cleanliness.
There are nearly 33 criteria that must be met to qualify for a Blue Flag certification, such as the water meeting certain quality standards, having waste disposal facilities, being disabled- friendly, have first aid equipment, and no access to pets in the main areas of the beach. Some criteria are voluntary and some compulsory.
Blue Flag certification is done by Denmark-based voluntary organization Foundation for Environment Education (FEE) after verifying a series of 33 stringent criteria of gren safeguards, safety of tourists, sea water quality and conservation. FEE has certified nearly 4,500 beaches and marinas across the world till date.