Centre offers aid to tackle coastal waste, boost Blue Flag beaches

To boost the number of Blue Flag beaches and tackle the rising issue of waste disposal in marine and coastal areas, the Centre is stepping up its efforts by planning to offer one-time financial support for the establishment of recycling plants and machinery aimed at processing abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) and high-littering plastic waste in coastal regions.

The government will provide a maximum financial aid of Rs 38 lakh per proposal for capital expenditure on standard recycling plants and machinery. However, for setting up recycling plants specifically for nylon fishing gear and nets, the aid can go up to Rs 48 lakh per proposal.

The Centre’s contribution will cover 40 per cent of the total capital cost of these projects, with the remaining 60 per cent to be borne by the proponent. A standard recycling plant is estimated to cost around Rs 95 lakh per project, while a nylon fishing gear recycling plant could cost Rs 1.2 crore, with the possibility of an increase depending on the plant’s specifications and size.

Preference will be given to proposals planning to install plants and machinery manufactured under the ‘Make in India’ programme.

This initiative follows the stagnation in the number of Blue Flag beaches since October 2022 and the growing issue of marine litter along India's coastlines. India has 12 Blue Flag beaches, an eco-label awarded to the cleanest beaches in the world. The mission of Blue Flag is to promote sustainability in the tourism sector through environmental education, environmental protection, and other sustainable development practices.

India boasts 12 Blue Flag-certified beaches, recognised for their clean, safe, and environmentally sustainable environments, spread across six states and three Union Territories. These prestigious beaches include Shivrajpur in Gujarat, Ghoghla in Diu, and Padubidri and Kasargod in Karnataka. Kerala's Kappad and Tamil Nadu's Kovalam also hold this distinction, alongside Eden Beach in Puducherry. Eastern coastal gems like Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh and Golden Beach in Odisha are part of the list, while the pristine Radhanagar Beach in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep's Minicoy Thundi and Kadmat beaches complete the selection.

The low number is despite India having about 200 beaches across its various coastal states and Union Territories, including popular destinations in Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

A total of 25 units are planned to be established near Blue Flag-certified beaches under the scheme, including 13 nylon fishing gear/net recycling units and 12 plastic waste recycling units, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

Marine litter is defined as any persistent, manufactured, or processed solid material discarded, disposed of, or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment. Plastic is the most dominant component in marine litter, comprising fishing nets, plastic packaging, and other items that are either deliberately discarded or accidentally lost into the sea or onto beaches.

According to the information submitted in the Annual Report 2022-23 by 13 State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees (SPCBs/PCCs) located in coastal areas, a total of 2.37 million tonnes of plastic waste was generated in the states/Union Territories (UTs). According to the data from the Centralised Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) portal for plastic packaging, only a total of 1.63 million tonnes of plastic waste had been recycled by August 2024 in 11 coastal states/UTs.

There are a total of 899 plastic waste recycling units in these states/UTs, with the highest number in Gujarat (426), followed by Maharashtra (218) and Karnataka (94), according to MoEFCC data.

Based on the information received from respective SPCBs/PCCs, estimates suggest that the quantity of fishing net waste is 75 kg per annum in Puducherry, about 1.5 tonnes per annum in Goa, 17.51 tonnes per annum in Odisha, 800 to 1,000 tonnes per annum in Gujarat, and 7,342 tonnes per annum in Karnataka.