Lok Sabha Question No. 3199 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-06
Subject: Cleanliness on Beaches
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Ravneet Singh, Su Thirunavukkarasar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3199

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2021

## Cleanliness on Beaches

3199:  SHRI RAVNEET SINGH BITTU: SHRI THIRUNAVUKKARASAR SU:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether a number of beaches in the country have got the blue tag which is bestowed upon the cleanest beaches in the world and if so, the details thereof; State/UT-wise;
- (b) whether  one  of  the  main  concerns  of  tourists  visiting  beaches  is  the  high  level  of pollution  of  beaches  and  waterways  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  major sources of beach pollution ;
- (c) whether the Government is taking any measures and providing assistance to the States for better maintenance of hygienic standards and high level of cleanliness on the beaches in various parts of the country ;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons thereof; and
- (e) the  other  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  improve  the  cleanliness  of  the  beaches  to compete in the world ranking and to impose heavy fines on defacement?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND

CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a): 8  beaches  in  India  have  got  Blue  Flag  Certificate  in  October  2020.The  details  are  as follows:

|   Sr. No. | Name of the Beach   | Name of the State/UT                            |
|-----------|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | Shivrajpur          | Gujarat                                         |
|         2 | Ghoghla             | Diu, (Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu) |
|         3 | Kasarkod            | Karnataka                                       |
|         4 | Padubidri           | Karnataka                                       |
|         5 | Kappad              | Kerala                                          |
|         6 | Rushikonda          | Andhra Pradesh                                  |
|         7 | Golden              | Odisha                                          |
|         8 | Radhanagar          | Andaman & Nicobar Islands                       |

- (b): Pollution of beaches and waterways is one of the concerns of tourists visiting beaches. Beaches  particularly  adjacent  to  river  mouths,  municipality  run  off  creeks,  close  to  urban settlement/industries exhibit relatively higher pollution. A study by National Center for Coastal Research  (NCCR),  Ministry  of  Earth  sciences  (MoES),  on  qualitative  analysis  of  litter  in different beaches along the east and west coast of India finds that the plastic litter from tourism varies from 40% at Elliot's Beach, Chennai to 96% at Gopalpur Beach, Odisha.
- (c) to (e): MoEFCC has notified Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016 and Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 as measures for prevention, control and environment friendly management of waste.

MoEFCC has  provided  assistance  in  development  of  environment  friendly  infrastructure  and support  systems  at  10  beaches  namely;  Ghoghla  (Diu),  Shivrajpur  (Gujarat),  Kasarkod  & Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala) Kovalam (Tamil Nadu), Eden (Puducherry), Rushikonda  (Andhra  Pradesh),  Golden  (Odisha)  and  Radhanagar  (Andaman  &  Nicobar Island).These  beaches  are  notified  zones  for  "No  Plastic",  "No  Dumping",  "No  Driving"  and promotes 'ZERO WASTE" "ZERO POLLUTION" concept.

MoEFCC  had  organized  a  nationwide  campaign #IAMSAVINGMYBEACH for  creating awareness on beach cleaning and aesthetic management.  In addition to this, Ministry organised a week-long  intensive  beach  cleaning-cum  awareness  drive  named  as 'Swachh-Nirmal  Tat Abhiyan' from 11 th to 17 th November 2019 at 50 beaches in 10 Coastal states/UTs.

There is no competition for ranking of beaches in the world.

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