Poorly maintained Vizag’s Rushikonda Beach loses Blue Flag recognition

The beach got the Blue Flag recognition in 2020, becoming the only beach in the State to be recognised by FEE

Hyderabad: Rushikonda Beach in Visakhapatnam has lost its prestigious ‘Blue Flag’ recognition.

It is said that the recognition was revoked by the Denmark-based Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) because of the poor maintenance of the beach.

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The beach got the Blue Flag recognition in 2020, becoming the only beach in the State to be recognised by FEE. While issuing the certificate, the FEE imposed certain rules like the beach should be maintained in accordance with international standards, should be kept clean and have proper infrastructure along with safety, environmental management, and water quality.

Interestingly, the FEE renewed the Blue Flag recognition for 2024-25 last year.

However, a few days ago, the FEE received complaints from unknown sources that the beach was not being maintained as per rules. The complainant had also attached photo proofs of the beach littered with garbage, dogs all over, unfunctional CCTVs, and defunct toilets and changing rooms.

Reacting to the complaint, the FEE sent an email to the district Collector stating that the Blue Flag recognition was temporarily being cancelled. It also instructed the officials to take down the recognition flags hoisted around the beach.

However, officials say that the Blue Flag is likely to be restored after a safety audit on March 4.

According to reports, a lack of coordination between tourism department officials in the State led to this condition. Non-payment of salaries to the private staff for maintaining the beach was also said to be a reason.

The district authorities were careful not to let the matter come out till Saturday, March 1. Even the flags were not taken down. The issue of cancellation of the Blue Flag recognition came to light after the news went viral on social media.