Two More Indian Beaches Make It To List Of World's Cleanest Beaches, Tally Now 12

The Thundi and Kadmat beaches in Lakshadweep have received the Blue Flag certification. This has taken India's tally of Blue Beaches to 12.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Wednesday that two more Indian beaches were added to the list of the cleanest beaches in the world and received the prestigious Blue Flag certification. The Thundi and Kadmat beaches in Lakshadweep have received the Blue Flag certification. This has taken India's tally of Blue Beaches to 12.

"Proud moment! Two more Indian beaches have made it to the list of Blue Beaches. Minicoy, Thundi Beach and Kadmat Beach - both in Lakshadweep - are the proud entrants in the coveted list of Blue Beaches, an eco-label given to the cleanest beaches in the world," Yadav tweeted.

The Environment Minister said this was part of India's relentless journey towards building a sustainable environment led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"While the Thundi Beach is one of the most pristine and picturesque beaches in the Lakshadweep archipelago where white sand is lined by turquoise blue water of the lagoon, Kadmat Beach is especially popular with cruise tourists who visit the island for water sports," Yadav further said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reacted to the development, saying, "This is great! Congratulations, particularly to the people of Lakshadweep, for this feat. India's coastline is remarkable and there is also a great amount of passion among our people to further coastal cleanliness."

The other beaches that have been awarded the prestigious certification are -- Golden Beach (Odisha), Shivrajpur Beach (Gujarat), Kappad Beach (Kerala), Ghoghla Beach (Diu), Radhanagar Beach (Andaman and Nicobar), Kasarkod Beach (Karnataka), Padubidri Beach (Karnataka), Rushikonda Beach (Andhra Pradesh), Kovalam Beach (Tamil Nadu) and Eden Beach (Puducherry).

Puri's Golden Beach is also Asia's first Blue Flag certified beach. Last year, the certification was given to Kovalam beach in Tamil Nadu and Eden beach in Puducherry.

The Blue Flag Certification is awarded by a non-profit organisation called the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). It is an eco-label given to the cleanest beaches in the world.

To qualify for the Blue Flag certificate, about 33 stringent requirements or criteria should be satisfied. The criteria are environmental, educational, access and safety-related. The FEE is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. Currently, it has 77 member countries.