Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY)

Last Updated on February 18, 2017 by Bharat Saini

Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) is scheme of Urban Development Ministry launched with vision to realize the goal of holistic development of major heritage cities of India. The scheme aims to preserve and revitalize soul of the heritage city showcasing the unique character of the same by promoting aesthetic features, accessibility and safe and secured environment.

 

Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY)  The Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, launched the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme on 21st January, 2015, with a focus on holistic development of heritage cities.   Main Features of the Scheme: The scheme aims to preserve and revitalise soul of the heritage city to reflect the city’s unique character by encouraging aesthetically appealing, accessible, informative & secured environment. With a duration of 27 months (completing in March 2017) and a total outlay of ` 500 crores, the Scheme is being implemented in 12 identified Cities namely, Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal. The scheme is implemented in a mission mode. It will seek to improve last-mile connectivity heritage sites by documentation, conservation of areas, providing more facilities for women, senior citizens and differently abled citizens. HRIDAY will be dovetailed with the Tourism Ministry’s Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme which has an outlay of `100 crore for augmentation of infrastructure at pilgrimage sites across the country. The Scheme supports development of core heritage infrastructure projects which shall include revitalization of urban infrastructure for areas around heritage assets identified / approved by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and State Governments. These initiatives shall include development of water supply, sanitation, drainage, waste management, approach roads, footpaths, street lights, tourist conveniences, electricity wiring, landscaping and such citizen services.

 

HRIDAY launched in January 2015 has been planned at adopting inclusive approach. The goal of the scheme is to preserve the heritage character of each city by bringing together urban planning, economic growth and heritage conservation. The Scheme is currently being implemented in twelve identified Cities viz., Ajmer, Amaravati, (Andhra Pradesh), Amritsar, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal. The development of core heritage infrastructure projects including revitalization of linked urban infrastructure for heritage assets such as monuments, Ghats, temples etc. along with reviving certain intangible assets is the major focus area  of this scheme. The initiatives taken under the scheme chiefly target the sanitation facilities, roads, public transportation & parking, citizen services, information kiosks in a heritage city like Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal.

 

The specific objectives of the scheme are:

• Planning, developing and implementing heritage-sensitive infrastructure.
• Efficient delivering and provisioning infrastructure in the core areas of the heritage city.
• Preserving and revitalizing heritage wherein tourists can connect directly with city’s unique character.
• Developing and documenting a heritage asset inventory of cities – natural, cultural, living.
• Implementing and enhancing basic services delivery with focus on sanitation services like public conveniences, toilets, water taps and street lights.
• Enhancing Local capacity for inclusive heritage-based industry.

 

The scheme aims to forge partnership among the Central, State and Local governments on the hand and synergizing the efforts from private sector, academic institutions and local community on the other hand .The scheme encourages all stakeholders, in the urge of charting out the course for sustainable and durable planning for heritage cities, to do every bit to combine affordable technologies. The strategy guiding HRIDAY encompasses the components of planning, development, implementation and management and hence makes it sure that the pool of resources allocated for the meant purpose are best utilized. The paradigm shift as reflected in the scheme- plan towards city development, adopts a cohesive vision integrating urban planning/economic growth and heritage conservation with extraordinary focus on the considerations of skills, cleanliness, security, livelihoods and accessibility.

 

In order to rejuvenate and revive the soul of the twelve selected heritage cities and achieve the goals the four themes aimed at include—

1. 1. Physical Infrastructure
   2. Institutional Infrastructure
   3. Economic Infrastructure
   4. Social Infrastructure

 

HRIDAY is a fully central funded by Government of India. First the identified cities/towns will work out Heritage Management Plan (HMP) for themselves and then develop and execute Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for identified projects with all stakeholders taken onboard in so that the channelization of funds whether through the empanelled agencies or through Public Sector Undertakings becomes smooth and unhindered.

 

The scheme to be implemented in a mission mode has to be completed within the duration of four years i.e., from December 2014 to March 2018. A total outlay of ` 500 crores has been allocated for the duration of 27 months ending in March 2017 for the twelve towns aforementioned under the scheme.