Rushikonda Beach to be certified with Blue Flag

The Rushikonda Beach in Vizag is getting ready to acquire the “Blue Flag Beach” status by the Foundation for Environmental Education.

The certification would be granted to beaches which have no scope of pollutants. The waters have to be clear without dirt and waste. The PH value of the beach should also be under control. To acquire the status, the State Government is starting works worth Rs 7 crore on the coastline. With the help of pollutants clearing machines, the waste accumulated in the sand and on the seabed would be removed. Fencing would also be established to protect the area. The officials would visit for the inspection in November of this year.

If certified, Rushikonda Beach would be the first in India to acquire the Blue Flag status. Along with it, the beach would be enabled with Geo-tagging.

The Blue flag would help in building the tourism footfall as there are fewer beaches in the world certified with the tag.

Earlier, Vizag’s Rushikonda beach has been selected under BEAMS to revamp it and propel the beach into the list of city’s major tourist destinations.

As per the press note released, “a “Clean” beach is the primary indicator of coastal environmental quality & management. However, coastal regions in India are highly susceptible to litter accumulation. The presence of such debris not only affects the aesthetic appeal of beaches negatively but also reduces their recreational (tourism) value drastically.