Published On: Wed, Feb 12th, 2025

Sunapur, Puri beaches retain blue flag certification | Bhubaneswar News



Berhampur: Berhampur, Sunapur, and Puri beaches in Ganjam and Puri districts, respectively, have once again earned the prestigious International Blue Flag Certification for 2025. While Sunapur was awarded for the second consecutive year, the Golden Beach in Puri got this honour for the sixth time in a row.
The Denmark-based Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), an international agency, awarded the Blue Flag certification, which signifies that the beaches meet stringent international standards for cleanliness, environmental sustainability, and safety. “The international agency recently announced 13 beaches across the country for the International Blue Flag Beach Awards this year. Of them, two are from Odisha — Sunapur in Ganjam and Golden Beach in Puri,” said Sunny Khokhar, divisional forest officer (DFO), Berhampur, who is also nodal officer, Sunapur beach management committee.
A Blue Flag beach is an eco-tourism model that provides tourists or beachgoers with clean and hygienic bathing facilities, a safe and healthy environment, and sustainable development of the area, he said. The prestigious certification was accorded after a team visited the site for physical verification, he said. The Blue Flag certification was awarded to the beaches that meet 33 criteria under categories such as environmental education and information, water quality, safety, services, and proper waste and environmental management.
Located on the confluence of the Bahuda river and Bay of Bengal, about 30 km from Berhampur, the Sunapur beach has continued to retain this status due to active participation of locals and has become a model for sustainable coastal tourism, said a senior forest officer.
The Blue Flag Beach stretches over 800 metres in Sunapur, with facilities like specially-designed wheelchairs for differently-abled persons, zero liquid waste discharge, lifeguard towers, trained paramedic staff to provide first aid, and installation of CCTV, etc. It is managed by the district beach management committee headed by the Ganjam collector.
Residents argue that the Blue Flag status has not translated into increased tourist footfall in Sunapur. “Many tourists are unaware of the Blue Flag certification. There is a need for the govt to promote its significance,” said N. Damburu Reddy, former zilla parishad member. Moreover, limited public transport options and the absence of direct connectivity make it challenging for tourists to visit Sunapur, he said. The govt has also planned to develop four more beaches, including Gopalpur-on-Sea, to meet international standards.





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