Maharashtra has secured International Blue Flag recognition for the first time, with Ladghar and Guhagar in Ratnagiri district and Shrivardhan in Raigad district receiving the certification for the 2026-27 season. The award recognises the beaches’ compliance with international standards for cleanliness, water quality, environmental conservation, visitor safety, biodiversity protection, basic infrastructure and sustainable tourism management.
The three beaches are among 22 locations across India to receive Blue Flag recognition for the 2026-27 season, according to a government press release cited by the Times of India. The national list includes 13 beaches that renewed their certification and nine new beaches.
The Blue Flag is an international quality certification for environmentally managed beaches. It is awarded to locations that meet requirements covering environmental education and conservation, beach management, safety, water quality and sustainable tourism. For Maharashtra, the recognition places three stretches of its coastline on an international list for the first time.
Officials attributed the achievement to coordinated work by the state Environment and Climate Change Department and Tourism Department. District collectors and district administrations, local self-government bodies, gram panchayats, Beach Management Committees, local residents and other agencies were also involved in meeting the certification requirements, the government said.
The recognition is tied to more than the visual presentation of the beaches. The certification standards cover the systems used to maintain public coastal spaces, including cleanliness, visitor safety, environmental safeguards and the management of tourism activity. These responsibilities are distributed across state departments, district administrations, local bodies and community-level institutions.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Pankaja Munde said the Blue Flag programme would be used to develop other eligible beaches along Maharashtra’s coastline to international standards. She said the initiative could support local employment, tourism businesses and the wider economy while protecting coastal environments.
The minister described the award as global recognition of Maharashtra’s efforts in environmental conservation, cleanliness and sustainable tourism. She also said the state government intended to balance environmental protection with development and continue work on other eligible beaches.
The Blue Flag season for Ladghar, Guhagar and Shrivardhan will begin on November 15. The official Blue Flags are being brought from the Netherlands and will be handed over to the state Environment and Climate Change Department. The state has not provided, in the material available for this report, details of the investment made at each beach, the full list of facilities installed or the monitoring arrangements that will apply during the season.
The announcement makes the three beaches part of a wider national certification programme while placing responsibility for maintaining the standards on the agencies and local institutions involved in coastal management. The next formal milestone is the start of the certified Blue Flag season on November 15.
