Context: Recently, the Ministry of Jal Shakti has announced selection of 12 sites for transforming them into ‘Swachh Tourist Destinations’ under Phase-IV of Swachh Iconic Places (SIP).
About Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) initiative

• It was launched in 2016 under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
• It is a special clean-up initiative focused on select iconic heritage, spiritual and cultural places in the country.

Phase I coverage of iconic places

• Vaishno Devi, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Taj Mahal, Tirupati Temple, Golden Temple, Manikarnika Ghat, Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Meenakshi Temple, Kamakhya Temple, and Jagannath Puri.

Phase II coverage of iconic places

• Gangotri, Yamunotri, Mahakaleshwar Temple, Char Minar, Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assissi, Adi Shankaracharya’s abode Kaladi, Gomateshwar, Baijnath Dham, Gaya Tirth, and Somnath temple.

Phase III coverage iconic places

• Raghavendra Swamy Temple, Hazardwari Palace, Brahma Sarovar Temple, VidurKuti, Mana village, Pangong Lake, Nagvasuki Temple, ImaKeithal market, Sabarimala Temple, and Kanvashram.

Key Highlights

• The ‘Swachh Tourist Destinations’ under Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) is an initiative of Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G).

The 12 sites announced under Swachh Tourist Destinations are:

• Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra; Sanchi Stupa, Madhya Pradesh; Kumbhalgarh Fort, Rajasthan; Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan; Ramdevra, Rajasthan; Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Telangana; Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha; Rock Garden, Chandigarh; Dal Lake, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir; Banke Bihari Temple, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh; Agra Fort, Agra, Uttar Pradesh; Kalighat Temple, West Bengal

What is Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) initiative?

• It is a multi-stakeholder initiative focusing on cleaning up 100 places across India that are “iconic” due to their heritage, religious and/or cultural significance.
• It is being coordinated by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and the concerned State/UT governments.
• The initiative aims at enhancing the experience of both domestic and foreign visitors by improving the sanitation and cleanliness standards at and around the sites.
• The objective of SIP is to achieve a distinctly higher level of Sanitation/Cleanliness at these places.
• All Iconic Sites have designated PSUs for financial and technical support.