Three Maharashtra Beaches Get the Blue Flag Eco-Label: How Beach Certification and Coastal Rules Work
Three beaches in Maharashtra, Ladghar and Guhagar in Ratnagiri district and Shrivardhan in Raigad district, received the international Blue Flag certification for the 2026-27 season.
The decision was announced by the International Blue Flag Jury after the beaches met standards on cleanliness, water quality, environmental management, biodiversity protection, safety and sustainable tourism.
According to the state Environment and Climate Change Department, 22 Indian beaches hold Blue Flag recognition for 2026-27: 13 renewals and 9 newly certified beaches. Maharashtra accounts for three of the nine new ones.
The Blue Flag season at the three beaches begins on 15 November. The official flags come from the Blue Flag programme abroad and will be hoisted with district administrations.
The work involved the state environment and tourism departments, district administrations, gram panchayats, beach management committees and local communities. The state plans to prepare more beaches on its coast for the label.
Blue Flag Certification: What It Is and How It Works
The Blue Flag is an international eco-label (a badge of environmental quality) given to beaches, marinas and tourism boats that meet strict standards of cleanliness, water quality, safety and environmental care. A beach that wins it can fly a blue flag with a special logo during its season. For a tourist, the flag is a quick signal: "This beach is clean, the water is safe to swim in, and the place is well managed." It is run by a non-profit body, the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Ladghar, Guhagar and Shrivardhan cleared the Blue Flag checks on water quality, waste management, safety and visitor information, and the International Jury approved them. They fly the flag from 15 November for the 2026-27 season. To keep it, they must pass monitoring during the season.
Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019
The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules control what can be built near India's sea coast and along tidal rivers and creeks. They divide the coast into zones based on how sensitive or how developed each stretch is, and set what is allowed, limited or banned in each. The current rulebook is the CRZ Notification, 2019, issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). Its aims are to protect coastal nature, protect the livelihoods of fishers and coastal communities, and allow safe, sustainable development.
Blue Flag beaches must follow the CRZ rules. The 2019 notification specifically allows the toilets, changing rooms and treatment units that Blue Flag needs close to the shore. When Maharashtra develops more beaches for the label, every facility must fit within the CRZ zones and its approved coastal plan.
- New Blue Flag beaches in Maharashtra (2026-27): Ladghar and Guhagar (Ratnagiri), Shrivardhan (Raigad)
- India 2026-27: 22 Blue Flag beaches (13 renewed, 9 new); Maharashtra has 3 of the 9 new
- Season at the three beaches starts 15 November 2026
- Blue Flag run by FEE, Copenhagen, Denmark; started in France, 1985
- Criteria under 4 heads: environmental education, water quality, environmental management, safety and services
- India's programme: BEAMS (MoEFCC, under ICZM, implemented by SICOM); first 8 Indian Blue Flag beaches in October 2020
- CRZ Notification 2019: NDZ 50 m (CRZ-III A) / 200 m (CRZ-III B) / 20 m (islands)