Honnavar: Union Minister for Environment and Meteorology Prakash Jawadekar launched 8 beaches of the country as 'Blue Flag' beaches that includes Eco Beach in Kasarkod of Honnavar taluk.

Speaking in an online program, the Minister said that over the next three to four years, 100 beaches across the country would be developed to international standards. In the first phase, 8 beaches of the country are being launched by connecting them with the Blue Flag.

Dr. Harish Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Uttara Kannada District, who participated in the program, unfurled the Blue Flag and National Flag at Eco Beach in Kasarkod. The FEE, an environmental education institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, confirms the Blue Flag by identifying world-class beaches, under which 33 conditions including cleanliness, water quality, eco-friendliness have to be complied with in all respects.

The central government had certified Eco Beach in Kasarkod and Padubidri beach in Karnataka, Shivrajpur and Devonghogla in Gujrat, Kapad in Kerala, Rishikund in Andhra Pradesh, Golden in Orissa and Radha Nagar in Andaman and Nicobar Islands as blue flags among has been released today. Earlier,  Japan, South Korea and UAE were included in the list and now India has joined it.