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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News Network
April 4,2020

Mangaluru, Apr 4: With the district administration formally confirming three new cases of covid-19, the total number of coronavirus positive cases in Dakshina Kannada today mounted to 12. 

A 43-year-old man from Thumbey in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada had been to Delhi on March 11 due to personal work and returned on March 22. His throat swabs were sent for testing on April 2 though he was healthy. Today the report of the test claimed that he was infected with covid-19. However, he is still said to be healthy.

In another case, a man from Udupi, who had returned from Dubai on March 21, was under medical observation after he landed at Mangaluru International Airport. The district administration today claimed that he too is suffering from the covid-19. 

A resident of Thokkottu, on February 6, had travelled to Mumbai and then visited Delhi. On March 6 he had returned to Mangaluru. On April 2, his throat swabs were sent for testing and the report today showed positive.

All three have been admitted to Wenlock Hospital for treatment.

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News Network
February 17,2020

Mandya, Feb 17: About 40 passengers were injured in a collision between a KSRTC bus and a tipper lorry near Srirangapatna in the district on Monday.

Police said that the incident occurred when the bus was stopped to allow passengers to alight when the tipper lorry rammed against the bus.

The victims have been admitted to the Taluk hospital and the severely injured have been shifted to a hospital in Mysuru.

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 27,2020

Mangaluru, May 27: Mangaluru MLA U T Khader today urged Dakshina Kannada MP and Karnataka BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel to pave the way for immediate repatriation of Mangalureans stranded across Gulf countries.

The development comes amidst reports that lack of preparedness on part of the authorities concerned in Dakshina Kannada compelled the Centre to delay the operation of repatriation flights from various Gulf to Mangaluru International Airport under Vande Bharat Mission.

Lakhs of people from Mangaluru region (coastal Karnataka) alone are working in middle eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. Thousands of them are currently stranded thanks to covid-19 lockdown and are helplessly waiting for repatriation.

Speaking to coastaldigest.com, Mr Khader said he already spoke to Mr Kateel and brought to his notice the plight of Mangalureans in Saudi Arabia and other gulf countries. "There are a large number of pregnant women, senior citizens and patients who need immediate repatriation. It is the responsibility of the elected representatives and district administration to pave the way for the repatriation of our people and arrange quarantine facilities for them," he said. 

"Mr Kaeel is not only MP of Dakshina Kannada. He is also the chief of Karnataka's ruling party. Hence, he must play a crucial role in facilitating the return of Kannadigas in general and Mangalureans in particular," Mr Khader said. 

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