India has been blessed with abundant natural beauty by nature. Among the many places that showcase this natural beauty is Shivrajpur Beach, the first Blue Flag Beach in Gujarat.
Situated just 12 km away from Dwarka, the city of Lord Shri Dwarkadhish, Shivrajpur Beach was awarded the prestigious Blue Flag Beach certification in 2020. This recognition has attracted a large number of tourists, who visit the beach with their families every year to enjoy their holidays. The crystal-clear blue waters of Shivrajpur Beach are a major draw for tourists, enticing them to partake in water sports activities such as scuba diving and boating.
Accessing Shivrajpur Blue Flag Beach is convenient, with the nearest railway station being Dwarka. For those traveling by air, Jamnagar Airport is located 150 km away, while Porbandar Airport is situated at a distance of 110 km. The breath-taking view of the sunset at Shivrajpur Beach is a sight to behold. The lighthouse on the beach has become a popular attraction, allowing tourists to enjoy panoramic views of the beach.
Through the collaborative efforts of Gujarat Tourism and the Government of India, Shivrajpur Beach is undergoing further development to enhance the experience for all visitors. The Blue Flag Beach Award is granted based on adherence to 32 criteria that encompass various aspects such as environmental education and information, water quality, environmental management, security, and services.
It is important to note that Blue Flags are awarded for a single season at a time. Failure to meet certain mandatory criteria or changes in conditions during the season can result in the withdrawal of the Blue Flag status. In terms of environmental education and information, there are six specific criteria that must be met, including the display of information about the Blue Flag program, provision and promotion of environmental education activities, information on bathing water quality, details about local ecosystems and environmental events, a beach map highlighting various features, and the display of a code of conduct outlining the appropriate laws governing the use of the beach and its surrounding areas.
There are five criteria for water quality assessment. These criteria encompass the beach’s adherence to water quality sampling and frequency requirements, compliance with standards and regulations for water quality analysis, prevention of industrial, waste-water, or sewage-related discharges affecting the beach area, meeting Blue Flag requirements for microbiological parameters such as faecal coli bacteria (E.coli) and intestinal enterococci/streptococci, and meeting Blue Flag requirements for physical and chemical parameters.
On the other hand, environmental management criteria include the establishment of a Beach Management Committee by the local authority or beach operator, compliance with all regulations governing the location and operation of the beach, maintaining cleanliness of the beach, allowing algal vegetation or natural debris on the beach as long as they do not pose health and safety risks, providing an adequate number of waste disposal bins that are regularly maintained, offering facilities for separating recyclable waste, ensuring the availability of toilet or restroom facilities in sufficient numbers and keeping them clean, implementing controlled sewage disposal for these facilities, prohibiting unauthorized camping, driving, and dumping, strictly controlling access to the beach by dogs and other domestic animals, maintaining all buildings and beach equipment properly, monitoring coral reefs around the beach, and promoting sustainable transportation methods in the beach area.
There are seven essential criteria that encompass security and services for beaches. These criteria include ensuring an adequate number of lifeguards and/or life-saving equipment, availability of first aid equipment, emergency plans to address pollution threats, effective management of different users and uses of the beach to prevent conflicts and accidents, implementation of safety measures for the protection of beach users, provision of drinking water supply, and the requirement for at least one Blue Flag beach in each municipality to have access and facilities for physically disabled individuals. The presence of a Blue Flag on a beach signifies that it meets certain standards such as cleanliness, safety, accessibility, sustainable management, and excellent water quality.
The Blue Flag is a prominent international eco-certification program that is owned and operated by the Foundation of Environmental Education (FEE), a non-governmental and not-for-profit organization headquartered in Denmark. This voluntary program is available for both private and public beaches and marinas, aiming to connect the public with their natural surroundings and encourage them to deepen their understanding of the environment. The Blue Flag program actively monitors environmental conditions to minimize the impact of human activities on beaches, marinas, and boating operators, all with the collective goal of promoting sustainable tourism development.
