Blue Tag Flag

• Why in News?

• On the occasion of World Environment Day, June 5, Odisha’s Chandrabhaga beach became Asia’s first beach to get a Blue Flag certification.
• Chandrabhaga Beach is situated 3 km east from the Sun temple of Konark, in the Puri district of Odisha.

• Blue Flag Tag :

• The awards are announced yearly on 5 June for Northern hemisphere and on 1 November for the Southern hemisphere countries.
• To achieve the Blue Flag Tag, a beach has to strictly comply with 33 environment and tourism-related conditions, for example, a beach must be plastic free and equipped with the waste management system, clean water available for tourist, apart from international amenities etc.
• The standards were established by FEE in 1985. 
• The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its stringent standards.
• Twelve more beaches in the country are being developed by the Society for Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) including Chiwla and Bhogave beaches in Maharashtra and one beach each from Puducherry, Goa, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

• Importance of Blue Flag Tag :

• The Blue Flag certification is an attempt to promote sustainable tourism. 
• As a tourist at a Blue Flag beach, someone can expect important information relating to coastal zone ecosystems and sensitive natural areas in the coastal zone, displayed at the beach.
• Information about the bathing water quality, as well as the Blue Flag programme, will be displayed as well.
• There will be a sustainable means of transportation, promoted around the beach area. 
• For safety, there will be an adequate number of lifeguards and life-saving equipment at the beach.
• All Blue Flag beaches will have a map, that will show the different facilities available there.
• Five environmental education activities will be on offer, and someone can take them up as per their interest.

• Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) :

• The environment ministry started a pilot project to develop the Indian beaches according to the Blue Flag standards in December 2017.
• The SICOM is on a mission to make 13 of India’s beaches plastic-free and equip them with a waste management system to meet the Blue Flag certification standards.
• The main objective of the centre to promote research and development in the area of coastal management including addressing issues of coastal communities.
• Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) has been established under the aegis of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

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