Union Government takes 10 new Swachh Iconic Places under Swachh Bharat Mission

The Union Government on 25 April 2017 announced 10 Swachh Iconic Places to be taken under the Phase II of Swachh Iconic Places initiative.

The announcement was made during second quarterly review meeting on the Swachh Iconic Places that was held at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir.

The aim of the Swachh Iconic Places is to make 100 places model Swachh Tourist Destinations that will enhance the experience for visitors from India and abroad.

The ten new iconic places are:

1. Gangotri
2. Yamunotri
3. Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain
4. Char Minar, Hyderabad
5. Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assissi, Goa
6. Adi Shankaracharya’s abode Kaladi in Ernakulam
7. Gomateshwar in Shravanbelgola
8. Baijnath Dham, Devghar
9. Gaya Tirth in Bihar
10. Somnath temple in Gujarat

The ten iconic places already in Phase I are:

1. Ajmer Sharif Dargah
2. CST Mumbai
3. Golden Temple, Amritsar
4. Kamakhya Temple, Assam
5. Maikarnika Ghat, Varanasi
6. Meenakshi Temple, Madurai    
7. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Katra, J&K
8. Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri
9. The Taj Mahal, Agra
10. Tirupati Temple, Tirumala

Background

The special clean-up initiative comes under the umbrella of the Swachh Bharat Mission. The initiative focuses on 100 iconic heritage, spiritual and cultural places in India.

The Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation is the coordinating Ministry for the initiative, in association with the Union Ministry of Urban Development, Union Ministry of Culture, Union Ministry of Tourism and the concerned State governments.