Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already been questioned by commentators on both left and right about how long it would take to fulfil the promises he made to the nation during the election campaign. But he seems determined to deliver on a resonant pledge he made in his own constituency of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh: to clean up and modernise the sacred city. Over the years, Varanasi has acquired the unfortunate reputation of being one of the dirtier places in India.
But a number of development initiatives for the city are about to be announced, a leader in the central government told Scroll on the condition of anonymity. The focus will be on cleaning up the city and improving tourism facilities, in addition to addressing other problems.
The Centre is working on a detailed report on Varanasi, with the help of departments like the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and several state agencies. The Ministry of Urban Development is overseeing the project.
Some of the major initiatives in the pipeline.
Upgrading infrastructure
Modi plans to turn Varanasi into a hub of culture and heritage. The Ministry of Urban Development has already engaged consultants to identify tourism hotspots in and around the temple town. It has also asked Google to map the city properly.
“There are ambitious plans to develop Varanasi into a prime tourist circuit in Northern India," Union Minister of state (Independent Charge) for culture and tourism Shripad Yesso Naik said.
The latest Union budget made a provision of Rs 500 crore for the development of five tourist circuits. According to Naik, Rs 70.6 crore of this has been allocated to promoting tourism in Varanasi. Rs 12.5 crore of this will be spent on improving 24 railway stations in and around the city, including the Varanasi Railway Station.
An additional Rs 100 crore will be spent on facilities at the ghats and to beautify the city. The ghats, the impressive set of steps leading down to the Ganga, are important places of worship. A non-governmental organisation called Sulabh International has been awarded the contract to maintain six ghats.
Visa on arrival
The central government is also working to offer visas on arrival at Varanasi airport for foreign tourists from select countries.
“We are in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs and want to get it implemented at the earliest,” Naik said.
He added that the the ministry plans to support the city’s numerous tourist guides with pension and insurance facilities. According to a state government report, there are over 43,000 tourist guides in Varanasi.
“They are cultural ambassadors and play a vital role in promoting Varanasi’s heritage centres," Naik said. "They also assist the growth of the tourism sector.”
The guides will also be given foreign language training so that they can communicate with overseas clients. These initiatives will increase job opportunities in the tourism sector by 23% to begin with, Naik said.
Waste management
The central government has notified the relevant state agencies that they must prepare a new action plan for waste management and sewers in the city. At present, all the city's sewage flows into the Ganga.
The government allocated Rs 2,040 crore for cleaning up the Ganga in its first budget. Naik says that the holy river is the primary attraction of the 3,000 year old city, and the reason pilgrims come every year. The ambitious initiative has caught the interest of a German agency, which is keen to assist in the multi-million dollar project.
Saving the ghats
To protect the ghats from the threat of soil erosion, the irrigation department of Uttar Pradesh has been directed by the central government to move a tortoise sanctuary to another suitable spot. The Kachchua Sanctuary is spread over a 7 km stretch of the Ganga, from the Ramnagar fort to Malviya Bridge in Varanasi, and is home to several species of tortoise, Ganges dolphin and other water creatures.
“The presence of the sanctuary is increasing the height of the sand bed on the bank of the river,” said river scientist UK Choudhary. “It is causing soil erosion under the stone steps and is likely to affect the foundation of the historic buildings near the river. A portion of the riverfront in Manikarnika Ghat is likely to cave in unless remedial measures are taken with immediate effect.”
Other initiatives
The central government is preparing a detailed project report on renovating Banaras Hindu University. Naik says that substantial funds have been allocated for the task.
Modi had also promised to improve the lot of the large weaver community in the city. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has prepared an overall plan to develop the industry.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has already announced that Rs 50 crore will be spent on a facilitation centre and crafts museum to promote the handloom products of Varanasi.
Modi also wants to establish a state-of-the-art music academy in Varanasi that will serve as a patron to the city's musical families. A plan has already been prepared by the municipal corporation of Varanasi, and popular vocalists like Channulal Mishra and Girija Devi are being considered to serve as resident musicians.
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But a number of development initiatives for the city are about to be announced, a leader in the central government told Scroll on the condition of anonymity. The focus will be on cleaning up the city and improving tourism facilities, in addition to addressing other problems.
The Centre is working on a detailed report on Varanasi, with the help of departments like the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and several state agencies. The Ministry of Urban Development is overseeing the project.
Some of the major initiatives in the pipeline.
Upgrading infrastructure
Modi plans to turn Varanasi into a hub of culture and heritage. The Ministry of Urban Development has already engaged consultants to identify tourism hotspots in and around the temple town. It has also asked Google to map the city properly.
“There are ambitious plans to develop Varanasi into a prime tourist circuit in Northern India," Union Minister of state (Independent Charge) for culture and tourism Shripad Yesso Naik said.
The latest Union budget made a provision of Rs 500 crore for the development of five tourist circuits. According to Naik, Rs 70.6 crore of this has been allocated to promoting tourism in Varanasi. Rs 12.5 crore of this will be spent on improving 24 railway stations in and around the city, including the Varanasi Railway Station.
An additional Rs 100 crore will be spent on facilities at the ghats and to beautify the city. The ghats, the impressive set of steps leading down to the Ganga, are important places of worship. A non-governmental organisation called Sulabh International has been awarded the contract to maintain six ghats.
Visa on arrival
The central government is also working to offer visas on arrival at Varanasi airport for foreign tourists from select countries.
“We are in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs and want to get it implemented at the earliest,” Naik said.
He added that the the ministry plans to support the city’s numerous tourist guides with pension and insurance facilities. According to a state government report, there are over 43,000 tourist guides in Varanasi.
“They are cultural ambassadors and play a vital role in promoting Varanasi’s heritage centres," Naik said. "They also assist the growth of the tourism sector.”
The guides will also be given foreign language training so that they can communicate with overseas clients. These initiatives will increase job opportunities in the tourism sector by 23% to begin with, Naik said.
Waste management
The central government has notified the relevant state agencies that they must prepare a new action plan for waste management and sewers in the city. At present, all the city's sewage flows into the Ganga.
The government allocated Rs 2,040 crore for cleaning up the Ganga in its first budget. Naik says that the holy river is the primary attraction of the 3,000 year old city, and the reason pilgrims come every year. The ambitious initiative has caught the interest of a German agency, which is keen to assist in the multi-million dollar project.
Saving the ghats
To protect the ghats from the threat of soil erosion, the irrigation department of Uttar Pradesh has been directed by the central government to move a tortoise sanctuary to another suitable spot. The Kachchua Sanctuary is spread over a 7 km stretch of the Ganga, from the Ramnagar fort to Malviya Bridge in Varanasi, and is home to several species of tortoise, Ganges dolphin and other water creatures.
“The presence of the sanctuary is increasing the height of the sand bed on the bank of the river,” said river scientist UK Choudhary. “It is causing soil erosion under the stone steps and is likely to affect the foundation of the historic buildings near the river. A portion of the riverfront in Manikarnika Ghat is likely to cave in unless remedial measures are taken with immediate effect.”
Other initiatives
The central government is preparing a detailed project report on renovating Banaras Hindu University. Naik says that substantial funds have been allocated for the task.
Modi had also promised to improve the lot of the large weaver community in the city. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has prepared an overall plan to develop the industry.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has already announced that Rs 50 crore will be spent on a facilitation centre and crafts museum to promote the handloom products of Varanasi.
Modi also wants to establish a state-of-the-art music academy in Varanasi that will serve as a patron to the city's musical families. A plan has already been prepared by the municipal corporation of Varanasi, and popular vocalists like Channulal Mishra and Girija Devi are being considered to serve as resident musicians.
