Context: Two more beaches, both in Lakshadweep, have been accorded the ‘Blue Flag’ tag.

Key Points

• India now has 12 blue beaches.

• Thundi Beach and Kadmat Beach – both in Lakshadweep – are the proud entrants in the coveted list of Blue Beaches

The Thundi Beach

• One of the most pristine and picturesque beaches in the Lakshadweep archipelago 

• White sand is lined by turquoise blue water of the lagoon. 

• It is a paradise for swimmers and tourists alike. 

The Kadmat Beach

• Popular with cruise tourists who visit the island for water sports. 

• It is a paradise for nature lovers with its pearl white sand, blue lagoon waters, its moderate climate and friendly locals.

• Both the beaches have designated staff for beach cleanliness and maintenance; and for safety and security of swimmers. 

• Both the beaches comply with all the 33 criteria as mandated by the Foundation for Environment Education (FEE). 

The Blue Flag

• The Blue Flag is an exclusive eco-label or certification that is given to coastal locations around the world as a badge of environmental honour.

• The Blue Flag programme is run by the Copenhagen, Denmark-headquartered Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), a nonprofit which, through its work, contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.

• The iconic Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators.

• A marina is a small harbour where mainly pleasure boats and yachts dock.

• In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained.

• The Blue Flag programme started in 1987, initially in Europe.

• Certification is awarded annually.

The certification is given by an international jury comprising members of:

• the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),

• United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), and

• International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN),

• Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE)

Beaches in India

The other 10 Indian beaches on the list are:

• Shivrajpur in Gujarat’s Devbhumi Dwarka district;

• Ghogla beach in Diu;

• Kasarkod (Uttara Kannada) and Padubidri (Udupi) in Karnataka;

• Kappad (Kozhikode) in Kerala;

• Eden beach in Puducherry;

• Kovalam (Chennai) in Tamil Nadu;

• Rushikonda (Visakhapatnam) in Andhra Pradesh;

• Golden beach in Puri, Odisha; and

• Radhanagar Swarajdeep in Andaman and Nicobar.