The Foundation for Environment Education (FEE), Denmark, awarded the much-coveted International Blue Flag Certification for 2023–24 to the Sunapur beach in Ganjam.
After receiving accreditation, Sunapur Beach, which is situated where the Bahuda River and the Bay of Bengal converge, was recognized as the second beach of its kind in Odisha, after Puri.
33 strict criteria under four main heads—Environmental Education and Information, Bathing Water Quality, Environment Management and Conservation, and Safety and Services at Beaches—are reportedly the basis for the certification.
“The District Beach Management Committee, Ganjam, the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan (ICZMP) Odisha, and the local community have all worked together to achieve Blue Flag certification.” In a statement, the Odisha Department of Forest, Environment, and Climate Change stated that Sunapur Beach is now not only a destination for unspoiled beauty but also a paradigm for sustainable coastal tourism.
In addition, the statement stated that the “Blue Flag” beach is an eco-tourism concept that aims to give visitors and beachgoers clean and sanitary bathing water, facilities and amenities, a safe and healthy environment, and sustainable growth of the area.
Notably, the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan (ICZMP) Odisha stipulates that the beach development activities must be finished by 2023, having begun in 2021. The 800-meter Blue Flag Beach has amenities including wheelchairs made specifically for those with disabilities, zero liquid waste discharge, lifeguard towers, paramedics on duty to provide first aid, and CCTV surveillance throughout.
The District Beach Management Committee, Ganjam, is in charge of its administration.
In Europe, the Blue Flag initiative was first launched in 1987. Every year, an international panel made up of representatives from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) bestows the certification on FEE.
