Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) [Govt. Schemes for UPSC]

The Swachh Iconic Places is a sub-scheme under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan programme of the government of India. Government schemes are an important part of the UPSC syllabus and questions are asked from them in the UPSC prelims every year. In this article, you can read all about the Swachh Iconic Places scheme.

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Swachh Iconic Places Scheme

The Swachh Iconic Places scheme was launched in 2016 under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

• This scheme is an initiative under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
• Under this scheme, select heritage and tourist sites of India are taken up for a clean-up drive.
• The idea behind this scheme is to enhance the experience of tourists who visit these places.
• SIP’s objective is to improve the cleanliness and sanitation of these sites, especially on the peripheries and the approach areas towards them.
• The scheme is currently in phase IV with the fourth set of iconic places being selected for the initiative.
• Technical and financial support is provided for each site by a designated Public Sector Undertaking (PSU).
• Some of the activities undertaken for the initiative include improvement in drainage facilities, sewage infrastructure, sanitation facilities,  installation of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), water vending machines (Water ATMs), better transport facilities in approach and access areas besides at the main sites, Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) set-up, structure restoration, lighting arrangements, roads maintenance, beautification of parks, community soak pits, compost pits, naalis for liquid waste and separation centre for organic and inorganic waste.
• So far, 42 sites have been selected with 10 sites each in phases I, II and III and 12 sites in phase IV.

Swachh Iconic Places Nodal Ministry

The nodal ministry for the SIP scheme is the Ministry of Jal Shakti. However, the programme is coordinated by the ministries of Tourism, Culture and Housing and Urban Affairs, and also the respective state government of the site, apart from the Jal Shakti Ministry/Dept. of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

Swachh Iconic Places Sites

The list of selected heritage sites under the SIP scheme is given below.

SIP Phase 1

The first phase was announced in 2016.

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

SIP Phase 2

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

SIP Phase 3

1. Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt Mantralayam, Andhra Pradesh
2. Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, Sabarimala, Kerala
3. Vidur Kuti Temple, Uttar Pradesh
4. Mana Village, Uttarakhand
5. Shri Sarveshwar Mahadev Temple, Vadodara
6. Kanvashram, Uttar Pradesh
7. Shri Nag Vasuki Temple, Prayagraj
8. Ema Keithel, Manipur
9. Pangong Tso, Ladakh
10. Hazarduari Palace, West Bengal

SIP Phase 4

The list of selected sites for phase IV of the Swachh Iconic Places scheme was released in February 2021. The following are the places selected:

1. Kalighat Temple, West Bengal
2. Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra
3. Agra Fort, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
4. Sanchi Stupa, Madhya Pradesh
5. Banke Bihari Temple, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh
6. Kumbhalgarh Fort, Rajasthan
7. Dal Lake, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
8. Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan
9. Rock Garden, Chandigarh
10. Ramdevra, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
11. Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha
12. Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Telangana