In a considerable increase to tourism two more beaches from India- Kovalam in Tamil Nadu and Eden in Puducherry- have been certified as International Blue Flag beaches by an international body. The nation which has one of the world’s biggest coasts on each the Eastern and Western sides currently has eight certified International Blue Flag beaches. The certification bestowed by Denmark’s non-profit Foundation for Environmental Education is granted on the basis of requirements of sanitation, water good quality, security requirements at the beach, cleaning of beach, provision of toilets/restrooms and other aspects. The International Blue Flag mark is recognised all more than the world and attracts vacationers from various nations.
Taking to twitter to share the development, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism G Kishan Reddy wrote that the addition of two more beaches in Tamil Nady and Puducherry will give a thrust to eco-tourism in the nation. Describing the development as a further feather in India’s green and clean endeavour, Reddy stated that the addition of Kovala and Even beach to the list of eight other International Blue FLag beaches will attract a host of vacationers to India.
In a equivalent tweet, Union Minister of Environment Bhupender Yadav wrote on twitter that the nation now has 10 International Blue Flag beaches in the nation with the addition of Kovalam and Eden and recertification of the current eight beaches. Yadav stated that the development was a further milestone in the journey towards a clean and green India below the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The other eight beaches which had got the International Blue FLag certification in the year 2020 are in other coastal states of the nation like Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Andaman and Nicobar islands. According to an Indian Express report, the state government of Tamil Nadu had announced specific measures in the state price range 2021-22 to work towards having International Blue Flag certification for about 10 beaches in the state. The Tamil Nadu government has also announced that it would commit one hundred crore in the next 5 years to bring a turnaround at the state beaches.