Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik stated, the state government has chosen to develop and beautify five more beaches to earn the Blue Flag certification. In a move to boost Odisha’s tourism potential along its coastline.
The prestigious certification has been awarded to Puri’s golden beach previously.
“Odisha is developing five more beaches to secure the Blue Flag certification as part of its efforts to give its tourism prospects a fillip. Plans to meet international standards are being rolled out for Pati Sonapur and Haripur in Ganjam district and Niladri, Muhan, and Jahania in Puri district,” Patnaik said in a statement.
The five beaches will be rebuilt with a collaboration of forest & environment dept. and tourism department. According to a government source, if the project is successful, the pilgrim city will be one of the most sought-after coastal destinations in eastern India.
Work on the Niladri beach project is about to complete, and operations on the four other coasts will begin soon. He said each of the five projects has been allocated Rs 1.5 crore.
Seating arrangements, toilets, a solar lighting system, and watchtowers are among the amenities available at the beaches. On the other hand, no permanent structures will be built on the beaches. Puri’s Golden Beach won the blue flag tag from the Copenhagen-based Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).
Between Bankimuhan and the Mayfair Hotel in Puri, the beach stretches for 500 meters.
Last year 8 beaches in India have been awarded the coveted ‘Blue Flag’ certification. The ‘Blue Flag’ is a certification that can be obtained by a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator, and serves as an eco-label.
The Blue Flag programme began in France in 1985. Water quality, environmental management, environmental education, and safety are the four key criteria that the program uses to judge sustainable development in freshwater and marine areas.
