Blue Flag & Garbage Dumping — A case study
NH-32 highway starting from Chennai and going towards Cuddalore was named “East Coast Road” (ECR). It has been one of the crucial highways in Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry. In Puducherry, along the NH-32 highway, near Ariyankuppam, lies the beaches of Veerampattinam and Chinnaveerampattinam. Both these beaches are located fairly 3 kilometres away from each other.
Blue Flag Award
In September 2021, the Eden beach near Chinna Veerampattinam earned an important distinction as the Union Territory’s first beach to earn the ‘Blue Flag’ certification. The certificate is awarded by a renowned Denmark-based Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). Eden Beach became one of India’s ten beaches to be awarded this honour.
A Blue Flag beach is designed as an eco-tourism model that gives the tourists clean and sanitary bathing water, a safe and healthy environment, additional facilities or amenities and the ability to grow the area sustainably. The Ministry of Environment got notification from the SICOM that the International jury of the Denmark agency has picked Eden Beach for “Blue Flag” certification. The designation is given to environmentally friendly and clean beaches provided with tourist services according to international standards.
The Blue Flag beaches are selected based on 33 stringent criteria, including bathing water quality, environmental education and information, environmental conservation etc. SICOM was tasked with choosing ten beaches in India that would qualify for Blue Flag certification. And based on their recommendation, the Union Government had chosen ten beaches, Eden is one of them.
The process began in 2018–19, with the Centre and Puducherry governments sharing infrastructure amenities on the beach. While the Puducherry administration was responsible for water, road, and electricity infrastructure, SICOM was responsible for parking, restrooms and treatment plants, and drinking water and bathing facilities.
The accreditation would help Puducherry emerge as an excellent destination for international tourists in the next five years. They will display the Blue Flag, a symbol of a world-class beach.
The government is considering a revenue model that includes the local community people as a win-win situation to maximise their benefits. This would require the beach to have a greywater treatment plant, a solid waste management plant, dining areas, safe drinking water, a washroom, changing room, bathing room, restrooms for travellers, including those with impairments, and parking.
Garbage Dumping
On February 13, 2022, the Thillai Mail newspaper carried an important article that elucidates a critical event to be noticed in Veerampattinam. Marine Conservation Movement condemns Puducherry Fisheries Department for allowing garbage dumping.
This incident took place in the Puducherry Fisheries Harbor for months. The Fisheries Department has not noticed this either. They has dumped garbage in the Thengaithittu local port premises at night. The plastic waste also gets accumulated up to a length of 8m along the shore length.
This has happened despite the Puducherry government and private sector taking various measures to keep the beach area clean. Veerampattinam fishermen have expressed their concerns and have suffered for the past few days due to clusters of rubbish accumulating in their nets instead of fish. Therefore, the Marine Conservation Movement condemns the Puducherry Fisheries Department to allow these misfortunes. The Puducherry Fisheries Department and the Environment Department need to stop dumping garbage at the port premises.
Our Response
Your Backer Foundation will be running a campaign to restore the quality of marine life and fishermen livelihood. As a society and foundation, we do not accept stark contrasts in the same neighbourhood. Eden Beach has achieved remarkable feat such as Blue Flag. In that case, the Veerampattinam beach should be extended to the same standards of development and maintenance.
