Ten new Swachh Iconic Places launched under Swachh Bharat Mission

Swachh Bharat Mission, envisioned by the Prime Minister, is being coordinated by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation with the support of state governments and local administration.

Sabarimala Temple (Representational image - Pic courtesy: en.wikipedia.org)

New Delhi: Ten new iconic sites, namely, Raghavendra Swamy Temple (Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh), Hazardwari Palace (Murshidabad, West Bengal), Brahma Sarovar Temple (Kurukshetra, Haryana), Vidur Kuti (Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh), Mana village (Chamoli, Uttarakhand), Pangong Lake (Leh-Ladakh, J&K), Nagvasuki Temple (Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh), Ima Keithal/market (Imphal, Manipur), Sabarimala Temple (Kerala) and Kanvashram (Uttarakhand) have been taken up under phase III of the flagship project Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) of the Swachh Bharat Mission.

The project envisioned by the Prime Minister is being coordinated by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation with the support of state governments and local administration. These new sites have joined the 20 iconic places under phase I and II where special sanitation work is already underway.

Launched in 2016, the phase iconic places are - Ajmer Sharif Dargah, CST Mumbai, Golden Temple, Kamakhya Temple, Maikarnika Ghat, Meenakshi Temple, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Shree Jagannath Temple, The Taj Mahal and Tirupati Temple.

Phase II of swachh iconic places was launched in November 2017 and included Gangotri, Yamunotri, Mahakaleshwar Temple, Charminar, Convent and Church of St Francis of Assissi, Kalady, Gommateswara, Baidyanath Dham, Gaya Tirth and Somnath Temple.

SIP is a collaborative project with three other central ministries - Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Culture and Tourism. It also involves local administrations in the concerned states and public sector and private companies as sponsoring partners.

The third phase of SIP was on Tuesday launched in Mana village which is situated close to the Badrinath temple in Uttarakhand. The village, which now becomes a SIP, is visited by tourists and pilgrims as it houses places of mythological interest.

The secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Parameswaran Iyer, launched four major Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) activities in Mana village, including community soak pits, compost pits, separation centre for organic and inorganic waste and naalis for liquid waste with a sanctioned amount of Rs. 26.87 lakhs.

(Content courtesy - PIB)