Padubidri beach gets ‘Blue Flag Certificate’ from Centre
Udupi, August 01: The Ministry of Environment and Forest of the Central government has officially declared ‘Blue Flag Certificate’ recognition to the Padubidri beach in the district.
In a statement, deputy commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis and Tourism department assistant director Anitha Bhaskar said that under this programme, it was planned to develop beaches with clean environment and quality water in 13 states which have sea shores, in association with the Society for Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM), Ministry of Environment and Forest, Beach Management Services (BMS). The clean sea shore would decide the healthy tourism and better economic index, they said.
In view of this, the central government has decided to bring sustainable tourism and healthy coastal sea shores under Blue Flag Certificate programme and implement international standard projects, it is said.
Boost for sustainable tourism
The main objective of the Beach Management Services is to encourage the sustainable tourism at Padubidri beach by managing the cleanliness, environmental education and creating awareness to local people, improving quality of water, safety measures, maintenance of security system and sea shore. Along with these factors, priority would also be given to bio-diversity, environment protection, effective solid waste management, basic infrastructure and introducing local food culture and lifestyle to the tourists under this programme, they said.
Sustainable tourism would be encouraged by giving environmental education to the local people, training, campaigning on home stays and others. The programme is being implemented with the help of the district administration, tourism department and local stakeholders. By 2018, it was planned to develop the beach as a quality beach with the help of Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) of Denmark and people could plan for their holidays.
As per the estimation, Blue Flag Certificate beaches would have annual turnover of over Rs 100 crore. So, it would help the Padubidri beach to make its presence in the international level and attract tourists, they said.
Padubidri beach end point
With the help of this international level project, within 500 mts radius of Padubidri beach endpoint, bio toilets, cloth changing rooms, bath rooms, name boards, jogging track, outdoor gym and children’s play area could be developed. To avoid the usage of plastic water bottle, pure drinking water units, solid waste processing and reuse, dust bins, seating arrangements, wheel chair facility for physically disabled, solar power usage, umbrellas, chairs, CCTV vigilance for round-the-clock, watching tower would be provided. All these works would be taken up at a cost of Rs 8 crore and A to Z Infra Services Private Limited of Gurugrama, selected by the central government, would develop the infrastructure. Along with the basic infrastructure development, the company would take care of the maintenance of the beach for next two years, they said.
Blue Flag recognition
As the Padubidri beach has got the Blue Flag recognition, international tourists would visit the beach. Former minister Pramod Madhwaraj had tried to get this recognition for Padukere beach near Malpe.
Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) would give Blue Flag recognition for international standard beaches. More than 60 countries including Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America and others have got the membership of FEE. Such beaches are the favourite spots for foreign tourists.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
