BHUBANESWAR: The unexplored Sonapur beach in Ganjam district has become the second blue flag beach in the state after the golden beach in Puri. Sonapur is located on the confluence of Bahuda river and Bay of Bengal.
It was awarded the international blue flag certification-2023, a globally recognised eco-label, by an international agency Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark, on Monday.
Both Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan (ICZMP)-Odisha, district beach management committee of Ganjam and the local community worked for the blue flag status. Work on public amenities on the beach like solar lighting, toilet blocks, seating and vending arrangements, solid waste management unit, watch tower, open shower, children’s park, among other things, started in April 2021 and was completed in 2023 under the ICZMP-Odisha.
The blue flag beach stretches over 800 metre with facilities like specially designed wheelchairs for differently-abled persons, zero liquid waste discharge, lifeguard towers, trained paramedic staff to provide first aid and CCTV coverage of the area. It is being managed by the district beach management committee.
Like Puri, there aren’t any permanent buildings on the Sonapur coast. Bamboo is being used as the construction material for the structures.
To get blue flag certification, beaches need to fulfil 33 stringent criteria including bathing water quality, environment management and conservation, safety and services on the beach. Since Sonapur ticked all the boxes, it was proposed as a blue flag beach.
“The Blue Flag beach is an eco-tourism model endeavouring to provide to the tourists and beach goers clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities, safe and healthy environment and sustainable development of the area,” said the department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change in a release.
Sources said while the Tourism department implemented the peripheral works like a gate, parking, pathway, the core work is being done by Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM), an agency under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
Clean and green
The beach was awarded the international blue flag certification by Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark
ICZMP, district beach management committee of Ganjam and local community worked for the blue flag status