The flag ship programme named Swachh Bharat was floated by the Prime Minister sometimes back. The nation has responded to it with much fervour. This is not a short term or temporary programme but has to be a permanently operated mission with the objective of making the towns and villages of the country clean and tidy. It appeared an amusing thing to see the Prime Minister symbolically cleaning a street with a long-handle broom in his hand. Political jokers and sadists called it a gimmick but people with a vision and the impact of this initiative knew fairly well that this was going to be a huge project in the country with the passage of time.
A recent event happening in New Delhi has proved that project Swachh Bharat has so many dimensions which we had no idea about. Talking to reporters, Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, told reporters that the Central Government had identified ten icon places in the country for cleanliness of international level both inside and outside the premises. He named all the ten icon places and Taj Mahal and Mata Vaishno Devi shrine are included in the list. The project envisages requisitioning the services and advice of international experts because cleanliness has to be of international level. World Bank is expected to give technical support for these projects. It is learnt that the Centre is also in the process of drafting Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to ensure cleanliness at 10 popular sanctuaries and tigers reserves.
Taj Mahal is the world renowned monument and visitors and tourists from all corners of the world come to have a glimpse of medieval Indian architecture. This unique monument, actually a mausoleum, is made of exquisite marble with unparalleled workmanship. However, first the approach to the monument is through narrow, dirty and circuitous lane that disheartens a visitor. There is dirt on left and right. Apart from that, despite many efforts by the ASI even within the premises of the monument Taj Mahal, dirt and litter lies scattered. Removing the dirt is not the only objective of the project under consideration but beautification of the parks, flower beds, trees and greenery are also going to be taken into account. Thus, Taj Mahal is going to receive world class treatment and level of cleanliness which befits the grandeur and imposing stature of this monument.
In the same strain, Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Trikuta hills of Reasi district has emerged as one of the most visited shrines in the country. The number of pilgrims to the shrine is expected to cross 1.10 crore this year. There is no doubt that the Shrine Board has most competently maintained the upkeep, cleanliness, sanitation and other things of the shrine besides providing many facilities to the pilgrims, yet in order to bring it to the world class level of an icon site, much more remains to be done We are confident that with the assistance coming from the Central Government, expert suggestions from international advisers and the competence of the Shrine Board itself, this national icon site will witness cleanliness and beautification that will give it the prime place among the holy shrines of the country. It is just possible that after the cleanliness project is fully implemented in the case of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, the Central Government will evince interest in taking some more iconic sites into consideration for cleanliness and maintenance.
Quite interestingly and very rightly, the Union Ministry for Drinking Water and Sanitation has also approved ten popular sanctuaries and tiger reserves in the country for cleanliness project. The Ministry is likely to organize a two-day seminar on cleanliness of iconic places including sanctuaries and tiger resorts so that the opinion of experts and academia is also sought. It will be for the first time that a seminar of this type is going to be organized in the country next month. But we understand that once this initiative is floated, it will have no looking back. India is a vast country and we have very large number of iconic places to take care of. The process once started, will be a continuous one and budget for this head will be provided each year in the national budget.
We welcome this decision of the Central Government. Jammu has special reasons to be thankful to the Central Government for taking up Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine for treatment under the project. We hope the project will be a success and then more iconic places will be brought under its umbrella in due course of time.
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