Earlier, it was announced that eight beaches from India would be granted the prestigious Blue Flag certification. The certification is awarded once an international jury decides if the beaches nominated from around the world fit the necessary criteria. Beaches in and outside Europe are awarded the certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education which is a non-profit non-governmental organization of which 77 countries around the world are members as of now.
A group of experts brought together by the central government has been working on getting the certification for the Beaches in India. The group has now selected five beaches from the state which includes the beaches of Tannirbavi and Iddya (near Suratkal), from Dakshina Kannada along with the beaches of Kundapur Kody in Udupi district, Murudeshwar in Uttara Kannada, and Karwar. This is indeed an honor for every Kannadiga as it is proof of the eco-conscious life lived by residents of these areas as well as efforts by the government and various volunteer groups to maintain the beauty and essence of these beaches.
Once the progress of all the infrastructure is completed, these beaches will be able to compete in the race for receiving the famed blue flag certification. The officials of the team of experts put together by the government have also visited the beaches of Bengre and Panambur in order to evaluate their chances of being able to apply for the certification in the second phase. Initially, a total of 104 beaches were identified along the coast of Karnataka, and later it was narrowed down to 16 very well maintained beaches. Among these, the Ministry of Environment, forest, and Climate Change along with the National Center for Sustainable Coastal Management has selected the five aforementioned beaches that have the potential to receive the Blue Flag certification in the second phase.
Some of the other beaches under consideration include the beaches of Apsarakonda, Kudle, Ravindranath Tagore, Gokarna, Murudeshwar, Devabagh, Padukere, Paduvari, Someshwar, and Talapady among others. In addition to all this, the center has also revealed a plan for developing high-class infrastructure for 100 beaches – now called Big 100 – in the near future.
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