New Delhi: The ministry of urban development has approved the action plans under the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) for eight cities at a total cost of 4.31 billion rupees.
The cities are Varanasi, Mathura, Ajmer, Dwarka, Badami, Warangal, Amaravati and Vailankanni.
The HRIDAY national empowered committee chaired by Madhusudhan Prasad, secretary, urban development approved the action plans after detailed presentations by officials of respective cities and state governments.
The approved plans will seek to conserve and develop core heritage assets of respective cities besides improving sanitation through solid waste management, easy access through signage’s and better mobility, interpretation centers, landscaping, provision of green spaces among other things, The Economic Times reported.
Some projects in these eight cities had already been approved and their funds released earlier even before the comprehensive action plans were cleared. These cities have been divided into different zones for taking up varied infrastructure development projects for enhancing the appeal of mission cities which are known as centers of rich cultural heritage.
Heritage development in Varanasi, for instance, will be taken up at a cost of 1.3 billion rupees by undertaking projects in four zones of the city. The projects include development of pedestrian pathways from Maidagin to Godowlia Chowk to Dashashwamedh Ghat, facade improvement, multilevel parking and solid waste management at a cost of 200 million rupees. Thirty roads will be developed in different heritage zones at a cost of Rs 22 crore. Proposed investments will include 893.1 million rupees allocated for Varanasi.
In Mathura, necessary infrastructure development will be taken up in six different zones at a cost of 413.7 million for the benefit of Krishna Janmabhoomi Area, Chatta Bazar, Vishram Ghat, Shiv Tal Kund and Masani, Bharatpur, Bhuteshwar chowks. The 2.60 km long Vrindavan Parikrama will be developed at a cost of 92.6 million rupees.
The Church town of Vailankanni in Tamil Nadu will get a makeover with an investment of 422.6 million rupees including development of a cultural park and relocation of a new bus stand.
The seat of Buddhism at Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh will be improved at a cost of 203.3 million rupees under HRIDAY. Access to Dharanikota Fort, Amaravati Pond, Mahachaitya Stupa, Amaralingeswara Swamy Temple, Kalachakra Museum, Dhyanabuddha Statue and Zamindar Bungalow will be improved through improved roads and access. An interpretation centre and a walkway of 2.50 km will also be developed.