MAKING ICONIC SITES SWACHH - Golden Temple final draftdocuments.worldbank.org/.../P161340-06-22-2017-1498164867809.docx  · Web viewreligious significance In 1577-8, the Fourth Sikh

“MAKING ICONIC SITES SWACHH INITIATIVE”A CLEANLINESS PLAN FOR THE ICONIC SITE OF HARMANDIR SAHIB

GOLDEN TEMPLE, AMRITSAR, PUNJAB

1. Introduction

The Government of India, through its Swachh Bharat “Clean India” Mission has proposed a multi-stakeholder Initiative focusing on cleaning up 100 places across the country that are “iconic” due to their heritage, religious and/or cultural significance. As a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary in 2019, the goal of the Initiative is to improve the cleanliness conditions of these places to the extent that they can be regarded as “Swachh Tourist Destinations”.

The initiative is being coordinated by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in close coordination with other key ministries as well as states, cities and sites managers. For its first phase, ten iconic sites have been selected to be cleaned up on a learning and demonstration basis. These are: Vaishno Devi (Jammu and Kashmir), Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Maharashtra), Taj Mahal (Uttar Pradesh), Tirupati Temple (Andhra Pradesh), Golden Temple (Punjab), Manikarnika Ghat (Varanasi), Ajmer Sharif Dargah (Rajasthan), Meenakshi Temple (Tamil Nadu), Kamakhya Temple (Assam), Jagannath Puri (Odisha). The actions taken at these initially selected 10 iconic places are expected to provide practical insights and standards to be shared with and further adapted by other iconic places and cities across India.

This report details the planned actions discussed during the Action Planning Workshop, held in Delhi on July 8-9, 2016, under the Initiative, for the iconic site of Harmandir Sahib, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab.1

2. Harmandir Sahib: Historical and religious significance

In 1577-8, the Fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das (1534-1581), excavated a “nectarous tank” where all Sikhs of the world could worship, on the order of the Third Guru of Sikhism, Guru

1 Section 2 is based on general sources and workshop presentations while those that follow are based upon workshop discussions led by the Golden Temple representatives and Municipal Corporation officials.

Amar Das (1479-1574). The location of the tank, in today’s state of Punjab, India, became known as the Pool of the Nectar of Immortality, or Amritsar. Shortly after, the Fifth Guru, Guru Arjan (1563-1606), designed a temple to be built in the middle of the tank. Following the Sikh tradition of inviting people of all religions to worship together, Guru Arjan invited a Muslim Sufi Saint, Sai Mian Mir, to lay the first stone of the construction. Guru Arjan also designed four entrances for the temple – at the north, east, south and west – to symbolize the religion’s openness to people of all faiths and walks of life. Construction was completed in 1604, following which Guru Arjan installed the Adi Granth, the holy scripture of Sikhism, inside the temple. The temple was named the Harmandir Sahib, the “abode of God”, and became the holiest place of worship (gurdwara) for the Sikh religion. The site is also home to the Akal Takht, (“the throne of the timeless one”), constituted by the Sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind, and regarded as the seat of God’s temporal authority.

In 1764 the temple was rebuilt, and in the early 19th century, the upper floors were covered with gold, giving rise to its present day, informal name, the Golden Temple. Its architecture is considered one of the best representation of a harmonious confluence of Islamic and Hinduistic architectural styles in the world. It is often quoted that its architecture has created an independent Sikh school of architecture in Indian history of art.

Today, the central temple complex sits within the nucleus of a walled, historical area of the city covering just over 16 acres. Surrounding the nucleus is a wider zone known as “Galiara”, covering an area of 35.48 acres. The temple offers various services to pilgrims, including seven niwas asthans (lodging facilities), which are maintained by Sri Harimandir Sahib authorities. As per Sikh tradition, as a gurdwara, the Golden Temple is open and free for all visitors – those of all faiths, and those of no faith. More than 120,000 visitors and pilgrims arrive at the site every day, totaling around 5 crore visitors per year. The majority of visitation takes place in the winter period of October to March.

3. Current status of Swachhta

Despite its historical and religious significance, as well as existing swachhta efforts, the Golden Temple and its surrounding Galiara area do not present the highest level of cleanliness expected from such sacred site. This is due to a number of key issues, including, for instance:

Stress on existing basic services. The limited basic services (e.g., sanitation, waste collection) that do currently exist in the surrounding communities and Galiara area are inadequate and are easily overwhelmed by both large influxes of visitors and long stays of large groups.

Distance to public conveniences. The majority of the few existing public conveniences are located slightly too far from the main temple site, making them difficult to reach and less likely to be used. They are also difficult to properly maintain.

Inadequate use of public spaces. Encroachment and unmanaged, congested traffic around the temple area restrict pedestrian flows while deteriorating the overall health of the surrounding environment and communities, and thus the quality of the pilgrims’ journey to/from the temple.

Awareness. There is somewhat limited awareness and habits of personal and collective responsibility for cleanliness, such as using waste bins.

Rule enforcement. At the ground level, certain rules and restrictions, e.g., on non-motorized vehicle zones, have not been properly enforced.

Space availability. Issues of limited free land and ground space, as well as ownership questions, have undermined the installation of sanitation infrastructure and other amenities, such as parking areas to decongest the temple area while facilitating visitors’ flows.

Cost-effective technology. There is a need to identify and implement the most cost-effective and efficient technological solutions to avoid wasting resources, such as water.

Lack of adequate planning and area-based site management approach. Despite the existence of government schemes and programs, there is a mismatch between the supply of funding for cleanliness and the current demand due to lack of proper planning. This has led to short-term and ad-hoc provision of services with limited results on the ground.

Such issues have not only impacted the experience of the site for both visitors and local residents but, if not effectively addressed, have the potential to degrade the area’s ecosystem and the physical temple site itself in the long-term.

4. Existing cleanliness measures

A number of schemes and efforts are already being implemented by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Municipal Corporation in the area of the Golden Temple and its surroundings to achieve improved levels of cleanliness. These are summarized in the table below.

INITIATIVE NAME / ORGANIZATION

ACTIONS OTHER DETAILS

Cleaning of the Golden TempleShiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC)

Manual sweeping Floor scrubbing Electric floor mopping

Over 2000 workers

Cleaning of GaliaraReligious groups, e.g., Dera Sant Baba Bhuri Wale Task Force

Manual road sweeping Secondary waste collection (with

tractor trolleys) twice a day

Tractor trolleys Manual brooms

Sulabh International Maintenance of 8 public toilets on Pay and Use model at periphery of Galiara

Of the 10 toilets, 4 are operational, 5 are under renovation, and 1 is under constructionFortal, England Maintenance of 2 free, public

toilets at periphery of GaliaraImpact India Foundation Support to waste collection in

GaliaraGeneral cleaning of the surrounding areaAmritsar Municipal Corporation

Road sweeping Secondary waste collection

Dumper bin 4 tractor trolleys Manual brooms

In addition, a number of special measures have been put in place by the Municipal Corporation to further improve the cleanliness of the area surrounding the Golden Temple. These include:

Introduction of mechanical road sweeping in the Galiara perimeter (1.60 km). A pilot was initiated on 10th July, 2016

Renovation of 4 public toilets Presence of 24/7 Litter Control Teams Installation of smart bins and litter control bins at 50 meter distances on the

major road(s) Washing of footpaths once a week Creation of a ban on polythene carrier bags Creation of a non-vehicular/non-motorized vehicle zone from Hall Bazaar to

Golden Temple Convergence with existing government schemes such as HRIDAY, AMRUT, and

those of the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Board (PHTB).

5. Proposed action plan

The overarching objective of this plan is to bring the cleanliness standards of the Golden Temple and its surroundings up to a level that makes it a model Swachh Tourist Destination. A five-pronged approach is proposed to keep the broader environment of the temple clean, comprising of:

i. Cleaning of public areas within the temple and its walls. Physical interventions include cleaning of the Langar halls and common public spaces inside the temple, as well as of the market areas and the main access roads around its walls.

ii. Enhancing service delivery and standards in the Galiara area. Interventions include the addition and enhancement of public toilets, the installation of drinking water stations and hygienic waste collection bins, and the improvement of solid and liquid waste treatment facilities and services around the temple walls and in the Galiara area.

iii. Facilitating visitor access and safe flows at the temple and city gateways. Interventions include the establishment of a hop-on hop-off system within 500m of the temple area, comprising of a network of five parking areas equipped with public facilities for visitors, while creating safe, pedestrian walkways within the Galiara.

iv. Rescuing/protecting the temple’s heritage. To ensure long-term adherence to the desired higher cleanliness standards, a priority emphasis on continued improvement of the broader environment around the site is proposed through the regulation of façades and encroachments and the installation of new street furniture (e.g., lighting, benches) along the five main access roads to the temple site.

v. Public education and enforcement. Following kar sewa traditions, the SGPC and Municipal Corporation are partnering to raise awareness and incentivize visitors and local communities to exercise personal and collective responsibility of their litter and to contribute to keeping the area clean. Enforcement measures are also proposed to complement and sustain public cleanliness.

The proposed action plan will be implemented at three levels:

i. At the temple complex level (“site” level), activities are centered on cleaning temple and public areas of solid and liquid waste in an ecologically sound manner with the use of the best tools and safest products, and establishing improved sanitation amenities.

ii. At the Galiara level, activities are centered on expanding and improving the provision of public services, creating the conditions for less traffic congestion/pollution and more pedestrian-friendly access routes, rescuing the character of the place, and regulating the use of public spaces.

iii. At the broader city level, activities are centered on improving overall access to the Galiara and temple complex areas through the provision of additional parking areas and alternative (cleaner) transportation options. At the city and Galiara levels, activities will also involve measures to enhance and protect heritage structures and properties other than the Golden Temple.

The action plan will also be implemented in a phased manner in order to ensure that easy to implement and demonstrative priority issues are addressed first and that physical works are conducted in the most effective sequence.

The first 3 months will begin with a comprehensive review of all existing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for areas under all three levels of implementation (site, Galiara, city). These DPRs will be reviewed by the Municipal Corporation together with SPGC and specialists in sanitation and urban service provision to assess their feasibility, appropriateness, and any potential synergies and gaps with the activities proposed under this initiative in terms of funding, implementation, and operation and maintenance. Subsequently, physical interventions under Phase I will focus mainly on improving cleanliness at the site level.

In the following 6 months, the sphere of intervention will spread more widely to the Galiara area, and as well as cleanliness measures, activities will include efforts to enhance service delivery, access and pedestrian safety, starting in 5 of the 21 approach roads to the temple site.

In the next 9 months, larger-scale interventions will seek to provide improved and alternative access options from the Galiara area and beyond into the temple complex. Measures will also be put in place to protect and enhance the cleanliness and visual aspects of heritage properties and to improve basic infrastructure such as sewerage lines along the initial 5 approach roads to be upgraded.

In 12 months, parking areas with public facilities and bus stands will be constructed around the periphery of the Galiara to reduce congestion and pollution near the temple complex. Activities from Phase II will also be expanded to cover additional approach roads.

Public education and enforcement of cleanliness efforts are cross-cutting and will be implemented during all phases.

The specific interventions proposed under each phase, their geographical scope, the agencies responsible for their implementation and a list of the resources required are detailed in Table 1 below.

Table 1. Summary action plan by Municipal Corporation and SGPCAction Planning Workshop, July 8 and 9, 2016

ACTION IMPLEMENTATION LEVEL

PRIMARY RESPONSIBLE

OTHER SUPPORT PERSONS/AGENCIES

RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS

PHASE I: WITHIN THREE MONTHSReview existing DPRs Site, Galiara, City Municipal Corporation,

SGPCSwachh Bharat Mission and WB

Expertise

Install improved basic signage Site, Galiara Municipal Corporation & SGPC

PHTB Funding and expertise

Build public toilets Site Municipal Corporation & SGPC

NGOs, Swachh Bharat Mission

Funding (partially funded through IDH)

Provide drinking water Site Municipal Corporation & SGPC

Swachh Bharat Mission Funding

Manage solid and liquid waste – install underground bio compactor near kitchen hall

Site Municipal Corporation & SGPC

Swachh Bharat Mission Funding and expertise

Establish litter control bins and teams Site Municipal Corporation & SGPC

Swachh Bharat Mission Funding

PHASE II: WITHIN SIX MONTHSManage solid waste, incl. smart semi-underground bins and specialized trucks for collection

Site, Galiara Municipal Corporation & SGPC

Swachh Bharat Mission Funding and expertise

Install electronic signage Site Municipal Corporation & SGPC

HRIDAY, Swachh Bharat Mission

Funding and expertise

Create parking areas City Municipal Corporation SMART, HRIDAY, PHTB Funding, landImprove sanitation along 5 initial roads Galiara, city Municipal Corporation AMRUT, HRIDAY,

SMARTFunding

Install solar powered street lighting Site, Galiara Municipal Corporation & SGPC

Swachh Bharat Mission Funding

Conduct greening and litter control Galiara, city Municipal Corporation & SGPC

Funding, CSR

Build additional public toilets Galiara Municipal Corporation Swachh Bharat Mission Funding (partially funded through IDH)

Install drinking water stations Galiara Municipal Corporation Swachh Bharat Mission FundingGaliara project and solid waste management primary collection

Galiara Municipal Corporation NGOs, volunteers, Swachh Bharat Mission

Funding

Introduce biodegradable bags Galiara Municipal Corporation & SGPC

NGOs, volunteers

PHASE III: WITHIN NINE MONTHSCreate hop-on hop-off service for 500m radius

Galiara, city Municipal Corporation Dept. of Transport Funding and expertise

Standardize policies/guidelines for facades of heritage buildings and signage

Galiara, city Municipal Corporation, PHTB, HRIDAY

WB, SGPC Funding and expertise

Revitalize heritage buildings and markets

Galiara, city Municipal Corporation, PHTB, HRIDAY

PWD, SGPC, WB Funding and expertise

Construct bio-methanation plant in the vicinity of Galiara

Galiara, city Municipal Corporation, PWD

Funding and expertise

Augment and strengthen existing sewage line (9.8 km)

Galiara, city Municipal Corporation, Sewerage Board

Swachh Bharat Mission Funding and expertise

Enhance water supply line Municipal Corporation, Sewerage Board, Dept. of Public Health

SGPC

PHASE IV: WITHIN TWELVE MONTHSConstruct bus stands at entry points to Galiara

City Municipal Corporation, PEPSU PRTC

Dept. of Transport Funding

Clean up railway stations City Ministry of Railways Dept. of Transport FundingIncrease green cover, plant native species

Galiara, city Municipal Corporation, SGPC, stakeholders

Figure 1 - Location of existing public toilets and waste collection points

Figure 2 - Proposed location of additional toilets and waste collection points

Figure 3 – Overall vision by Municipal Corporation and SGPCAction Planning Workshop, July 8 and 9, 2016