Gujarat's first Blue Flag Beach, Shivrajpur offers clear water, beautiful sunset views, boating

Devbhumi Dwarka (Gujarat) [India], May 19 : Nature has generously gifted natural beauty to India. One such place with natural beauty is the Shivrajpur Beach, which is the first Blue Flag Beach in Gujarat and is located at a distance of 12 km from Dwarka, the city of Lord Shri Dwarkadhish.
It is interesting to note that Shivrajpur Beach received the Blue Flag Beach certification in 2020. Every year, lakhs of tourists come here with their families and spend their holidays. The crystal clear blue water at this beach fascinates the tourists to indulge in water sports activities like scuba diving, boating.
One can reach Shivrajpur Blue Flag Beach via the nearest railway station, which is Dwarka. The nearest airport is Jamnagar at a distance of 150 km and Porbandar Airport is at a distance of 110 km.
The beautiful view of sunset at Shivrajpur Beach is worth seeing. The lighthouse present at the beach has become the centre of attraction and more and more tourists enjoy the view of the beach from this lighthouse.
With the joint efforts of Gujarat Tourism and the Government of India, this beach is being further developed so that everyone visiting it gets full benefits.
The Blue Flag Beach Award is based on compliance with 32 criteria covering the following aspects--Environmental education and information; water quality; environmental management; and security and services
All Blue Flags are awarded for only one season at a time. If certain mandatory criteria are not met or conditions change during the season, the Blue Flag is withdrawn.
For environmental education and information, there are six criteria--information about the Blue Flag programme is displayed, environmental education activities are provided and promoted; information about bathing water quality; information related to local ecosystems and environmental events; beach map showing various features; a code of conduct is displayed indicating the appropriate laws governing the use of the beach and surrounding areas.
For water quality, there are five criteria. These include--the beach complies with the water quality sampling and frequency requirements; complies with the standards and requirements of water quality analysis; no industrial, waste-water or sewage-related discharges should affect the beach area; the beach must comply with Blue Flag requirements for microbiological parameters faecal coli bacteria (E.coli) and intestinal enterococci/streptococci; and the beach must comply with Blue Flag requirements for the following physical and chemical parameters.
For environmental management, the criteria are--Beach Management Committee established by local authority/ beach operator; the Local Authority/Beach Operator complies with all regulations affecting the location and operation of the beach; the beach should be clean; algal vegetation or natural debris should be left on the beach (provided they do not endanger health and safety); adequate numbers of waste disposal bins/containers should be available and they should be maintained regularly; facilities for separating recyclable waste are available; adequate number of toilet or restroom facilities were provided; toilet or restroom facilities should be kept clean; toilet or restroom facilities with controlled sewage disposal; no unauthorized camping or driving and no dumping; access to the beach by dogs and other domestic animals is strictly controlled; all buildings and beach equipment are properly maintained; coral reefs around the beach should be monitored; and a sustainable mode of transportation was promoted in the beach area.
There are seven criteria for security and services and include--an adequate number of lifeguards and/or life-saving equipment; first aid equipment available; emergency plans to deal with pollution threats; management of different users and uses of the beach so as to prevent conflicts and accidents; safety measures for the safety of beach users; drinking water supply available; and at least one Blue Flag beach in every municipality should have access and facilities for physically disabled people.
A Blue Flag display on a beach means that the beach is clean, meets safety and accessibility requirements, is managed sustainably and has excellent water quality.
The Blue Flag is a leading international eco-certification programme owned and operated by the Foundation of Environmental Education (FEE), a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation headquartered in Denmark. The Blue Flag is a voluntary programme available for beaches and marinas, both private and public and focuses on connecting the public with their surroundings and encouraging them to learn more about their environment.
Blue Flag monitors environmental conditions to reduce the impact of human activity at the beaches, at the marinas and by boating operators with a collective aim to promote the sustainable development of tourism.