10 Indian beaches including one in Udupi to be converted into global quality

coastaldigest.com news network
January 29, 2018

Udupi, Jan 29: The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change plans to convert India’s 10 popular sea beaches into international quality Blue Flag destination in 2018 to ensure cleanliness and safety of these beaches. Among the 10 beaches, Padukere Beach located near Malpe in Karnataka’s Udupi district has been listed on the Blue Flag list.

Welcoming the move, Karnataka tourism Director Manjula said that her department already had listed Padukere beach as it fits into most of 33 categories listed by the ministry to select.

All the coastal states have nominated the pilot beaches. Formal nominations are, however, awaited from Union territories like Daman and Diu, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar islands. Sources said that Andaman would be the only place from where two beaches might be selected for the Blue Flag certification.

These ten beaches are being taken up as demonstration projects. Once they are cleaned up, 90 more beaches would be turned into Blue Flag zones.

The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education to ensure following a set of stringent standards to clean up the popular seaside destinations.

None of the Indian beaches carry this certification, while Spain has 578 Blue Flag beaches. Other countries with a large number of Blue Flag beaches are Turkey (436), Greece (395), Italy (342) and Portugal (299).

The developmental activities along the beach would include the creation of toilets and proper management of the waste material generated by tourists.

According to the existing Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) regulations, developmental activities are permitted in CRZ-2 (urban) and CRZ-3 (rural) areas. However, construction is prohibited in the CRZ-1 areas, which is they are between the high tide line and low tide line along the 7,500 km coastline.

International tourists

Pramod Madhwaraj, Karnataka Minister for Fisheries, Youth Empowerment and Sports, and Udupi district in-charge said that getting the certification would help in attracting international tourists to the beach.

An amount of Rs. 69 lakh had been spent to improve the road connectivity to Padukere. The construction of toilets and gazebos would be taken up at Padukere beach.

The beach facing the Arabian Sea, separated from Malpe fisheries harbour by the Udyavara rivulet, had now got road connectivity from Malpe. Hence efforts were being made to develop both the beaches.

A large number of youth in Malpe were dependent on fisheries. But tourism was a growing sector. The objective was also to create employment opportunities in the tourism sector.

The Malpe beach, the St. Mary’s Island (about 6.5 km from Malpe) and the Padukere beach along with the Sea Walkway will attract more tourists here and facilitate the development of tourism, Mr. Madhwaraj said.

Also Read: Karnataka’s first Sea Walkway opens to public at Malpe

Comments

Hari
 - 
Monday, 29 Jan 2018

What were the criterias for selecteing pilot beaches? Is that most polluted beaches? They will expand to all beaches in Karnataka?

Kumar
 - 
Monday, 29 Jan 2018

Great project. People also should cooperate to this project. Without them proper implementation wont happen

Ganesh
 - 
Monday, 29 Jan 2018

Great news. It will give more mileage to beach tourism in Karnataka

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 6,2020

Mangaluru, May 6: Amidst delay in repatriation of Kannadigas stuck in Gulf countries including UAE and Saudi Arabia, on behalf of the office bearers, the executive committee and members of the Bearys Chamber of Commerce & Industry, its president Mr S M Rasheed Haji and executive committee member U T Ifthikar Ali today (May 6) called on authorities concerned in Dakshina Kannada to persuade them to follow up with the State and Central level authorities.  

The duo met Nalin Kumar Kateel, Dakshina Kannada MP, who immediately contacted Pralhad Joshi, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, over phone and urged him to take up the issue with the external affairs ministry. Mr Joshi told Mr Kateel that efforts are still underway to bring back Kannadigas stranded in Gulf countries. However flights schedules are yet to be finalised.

The duo then met Kota Srinivas Poojary, district in-charge minister, who said that the government is prepared to handle the repatriation flights and passengers. 

The duo also met IAS officer Rahul Shinde, who is in-charge of affairs related to international passengers coming to Dakshina Kannada amid covid-19 crisis. Meanwhile, Zakariya Jokatte, president of Jubail unit of BCCI, spoke to Mr Shindhe over phone.

The official explained that the govt has made elaborate arrangements to conduct medical test of passengers on arrival at the Mangaluru International Airport. 

The passengers will be categorised into A, B and C groups depending on their symptoms and co-morbid conditions. The category A passengers (symptomatic passengers) will be sent to isolation hospitals which may be Covid care centres. Category B passengers (asymptomatic but suffering from co-morbid conditions) will be quarantined at hotels, hostels, guest houses etc. Category C passengers (asymptomatic and healthy) will be home quarantined.

The minister and official also sought BCCI’s cooperation in handling the situation. 

Quarantine accommodation facility 

Yenepoya group has already offered two of their hotels as quarantine accommodation and promised to offer one more.  Entrepreneur U Kanachur Monu and many others too have offered their hotels as quarantine accommodation in Mangaluru. 

District administration has asked Treebo, a hotel aggregator to list such willing facilities on their website.

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News Network
May 18,2020

Bengaluru, May 18: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called a meeting of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) to discuss various issues related to coronavirus and "failures" of the state government in tackling the outbreak.

The meeting, which will be held on May 19 at 4 pm, will also discuss packages announced by the central and state government, the amendment to the APMC Act by the state cabinet and the cancellation of various schemes including Mathrushree and Santhwana scheme.

Earlier, Siddaramaiah had alleged that the Centre and Karnataka government failed in containing the coronavirus spread despite having enough time for preparations.

Meanwhile, the ongoing nationwide lockdown has been extended till May 31. 

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Media Release
July 30,2020

Jeddah: The first chartered flight for repatriation passengers from Jeddah to Bengaluru organized by Karnataka NRI Forum Jeddah – Saudi Arabia was successfully landed at Bengaluru airport by 01.00 am on 19th July 2020.

Spice Jet (SG9884) departed from King Abdul Aziz International Airport Jeddah by 05.00 pm local time with 177 stranded passengers which includes 12 Pregnant Woman, 3 infants, 44 Short term visa holders, 3 medical emergency patients and 115 migrate workers and labours from various districts of Karnataka state.

Karnataka NRI Forum Jeddah, a registered charitable organization under Government of Karnataka & Indian Consulate Jeddah - Saudi Arabia, helping the Kannadigas overseas & in Karnataka State as well, has initiated major role for helping stranded Kannadigas to travel back to home. During Pandemic hundreds of stranded Kannadigas were approached to the forum and requested to arrange special chartered flight to Bengaluru from Jeddah.

Initiating from collecting the data of passengers, the forum’s special panel including its President Mr. Mohammed Mansoor, Secretary Mr. Peter Mascarenes, Vice Presidents Mr. Nasir Khurshid, Dr.Ashfaque Maniyar, Chief Coordinator Mr. Shaikh Saoud, Cultural Secretaries Mr. Arifulla Shariff and Mr. Rajesh Suvarna, Treasurer Mr. Habib Rahman and Press Secretary Mr. Baig, the forum’s members have worked very hard to conclude this task very successful. 

The forum provided food packets as refreshment, complementary PPE kitsto each passenger as precaution against the spread of any infections while travelling and also guided all passengers by supporting them in Awdha portal (Saudi Passport Department) and Seva Sindhu portal registration of Government of Karnataka.

The official travel partner ITL Travel Management Company has rendered remarkable service to the passengers not only in ticketing but also supported with top priority in confirming the aircraft from SPICE JET and availed good service from ground staff at Jeddah Airport. 

All passengers have reached safely to their homes after completing the 7 days institutional quarantine at Bengaluru. 100% passengers had NEGETIVE report on Covid-19 test made on arrival as well as after institutional quarantine. 

In the press release published from the President, Mr. Mohammed Mansoor has expressed his prodigious gratitude to the Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia H. E. Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, Deputy Consul General of India - Jeddah Mr. Y Saber and Chief Minister of Karnataka State Shri B. S. Yediyurappafor providing necessary approvals and NOC for the chartered flight operation. He also conveyed his boundless appreciationto Shri B. Y. Raghavendra, Member of Parliament Shimoga District (Karnataka) for his swift support extended to the forum and as well to Dr. Aarathi Krishna, Ex-Deputy Chairperson – NRI Forum of Karnataka – Government of Karnataka for her significant guidance and support on completing this mission.

The forum has thanked all the officers in King Abdul Aziz International Airport Jeddah and Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru for the facilities provided to the passengers. The Forum has thanked all passengers travelled for their calmness and also thanked to all other members of the forum, Staff of ITL Travels and SPICE JET for their tremendous support extended throughout the mission accomplishment.

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