india

Updated: Sep 25, 2019 00:02 IST

It was meant to help Goa’s beaches get worldwide recognition and draw more tourists to the shores. However, the Centre’s ambitious plan to have at least 100 beaches in the country ‘Blue Flag’ certified has hit a roadblock in Goa with opposition rising to the government’s move.

Goa’s Miramar beach located in the capital was selected by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to be among the first beaches in the country to meet the stringent environmental criteria. But more than a year later, little has moved on that front.

The Blue Flag is a voluntary eco-label awarded to beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators. In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained including on water quality for bathing, available facilities as well as safety standards.

Once certified by the ‘Foundation for Education’ agency based in Denmark, the beach will draw more tourists who can then be assured that they will not be disappointed with regards to the facilities they are expecting at the beach.

But in Goa, the move has met with opposition. A consultation held late last week as part of the certification witnessed chaotic scenes.

“This is basically copying a western model blindly and trying to impose it on Goa. In western countries they do not have natural beaches like we do nor do they have traditional coastal communities like fishermen living along the coast. This is a move that will push us out and deny us access to the beach while restricting the beach to only 5-star tourists,” Olencio Simoes, the general secretary of the Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott, an association of traditional fishermen.

“No doubt we need tourism, but Goa’s beaches are already beautiful and there is nothing we need to do to add to their beauty. Goa’s Agonda beach ranks among the top 25 in Asia,” Simoes said adding that the certification meant modifying the beach for human use while leaving marine life out of the picture.

Simoes pointed out that the Ministry of Environment and Forests wants states to install facilities along the beaches, including a paved path to access the waterline, a solid waste and wastewater treatment plant, toilet blocks etc.

“Goa’s beaches are already facing erosion with 10-15 metres washed away over the last few years. What fate will befall the structures they want to install?” he asked

In a notification issued on July 12, 2019 the Ministry of Environment and Forests identified 13 beaches across the country for the purpose of Blue Flag Certification. This was done with an aim to conserve, protect and improve the quality of environment and preventing, controlling and abating environmental pollution.

To achieve the certification of the MoEF & CC agreed to relax the coastal regulation zone norms allowing construction within 10 metres from the shore, something the fishermen have also objected to.

Sujeet Dongre of the Centre for Environment Education, which is the national agency for Blue Flag certification, said that the certification would benefit everyone as in the areas that seek the certification would need to ensure clean water, proper disposal of garbage as well as safety measures. He admitted that there were misunderstandings behind the concept.

“When we say that a beach requires a specially demarcated safe swimming zone in order to qualify it means that, that space cannot be used for fishing lest the swimmers get entangled in the nets and lines. This is what has made them needlessly apprehensive,” Dongre said. “But there are solutions that can always be worked out and a cleaner environment around the beach will also mean more fish in the sea, so it benefits everyone,” Dongre added.

There are also fears that some of Goa’s beaches which are overcrowded with shacks may be asked to reduce the number of shacks, a move that is unlikely to go down well with the operators.

Government officials, however, appeared bemused by the opposition.

“The whole idea about blue flag is to make the beaches more livable for a better environmentally friendly atmosphere. For that we need a high level of compliance. It is nothing that will take away their livelihoods. They have raised issues like it will reduce access to the beach. Nobody can deny access to the beaches, ever,” Nikhil Desai the Managing Director of the Goa Tourism Development Corporation said.

“This is a method of enhancing its capacity to a much higher world accepted standard,” Desai added.

A spokesperson for the Copenhagen based ‘Foundation for Education’ said that being a developing country was no hurdle for certification.

“We offer a framework where all stakeholders are part of the discussions, to find the best solutions for all of them around the sustainable use of the coastline. This includes the local fishermen, should there be any using the beaches,” Sophie Bachet Granados International Blue Flag Director said in response to an email.

The MoEF has now in a letter to the Goa Chief Secretary asked the Goa government to identify a total of ten beaches across the state that could strive for the certification. Funding for the ‘blue flag’ certification of the beaches if proposed by the Goa government will come through an upcoming phase-II of the ‘Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme’.

Goa has already received funding of Rs 100 crore from the central government under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme which has been largely spent on making the beaches of North Goa visitor friendly and Rs 200 crore has been promised to the state by the central government for other tourism development.