India Ministry of Tourism finally listened to international traveller’s biggest complaint in India: the lack of cleanliness. A campaign “Clean India” has just been launched which will improve India’s railways’ cleanliness.
DELHI- They are regularly workshops hosted by the Indian Ministry of Tourism; advertising campaigns in the streets. But despite all efforts to ensure a cleaner environment, India has still troubles to offer an ‘immaculate’ image, especially to foreign travellers, who often feel uncomfortable when walking in public spaces filled with garbage or excrements. But this feeling is also shared increasingly by domestic travellers, who are getting more sophisticated.
In 2009, the Ministry conducted an independent study among domestic and foreign travellers, asking them to identify major gaps in terms of infrastructure and service delivered at major tourist destinations. The study concluded that for both groups, the key factors that were categorized as low in satisfaction and high in importance included: Hygiene and Sanitation conditions in and around the monuments/ destinations; Solid Waste Management around the monuments/destinations; Absence of hygienically maintained public amenities like toilets.
Recognizing that efforts are necessary, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on ‘Campaign Clean India’ has just been signed between the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Railways to improve the cleanliness in trains and rail stations.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Tourism Minister Shri Subodh Kant Sahai explained that rail is a major driver for development of tourism. Both Ministry of Railway and Ministry of Tourism will then work together towards the common objective of brand positioning and effective promotion to enhance tourism activities in India. The Minister added the Campaign Clean India will help in effectively branding the country as a major tourist destination.
A clean environment will also help the government to develop new niche markets. It is for example uneasy to try luring people to come for medical tourism when basic hygiene is just ignored as soon as people steps into the streets of big cities. As an example, a study carried out in 2010 by the Indian Institute of Management in the city of Lucknow for the Central Pollution Control Board found that 50% of bio-medical waste generated in India’s hospitals gets dumped along with municipal garbage!
Minister for Railways Shri Mukul Roy said that the Indian Railways have taken a number of steps for improving cleanliness. Initiatives include eco-friendly toilets, clean train stations thanks to mechanized methods while training has been provided to staff working on-board. The Minister added that modern methods, equipment and material are being used by Railways for improved cleanliness and hygiene in and around railway stations.
As per the MoU, both Ministries will held consultations and discussions with stake holders including the travel trade. They will all look at further strategies for keeping the cleanliness of the stations and coaches. The Ministry of Railways will work towards the provision of controlled access to the stations and provision of chemical toilets in trains to keep stations clean.
The Clean India Campaign logo will then be put on trains and railways stations offering sufficient level of cleanliness. It will help tourists to identify places being considered safe from a hygienic point of view. The Ministry of Railways will encourage the Hotels and Travel Trade Associations and private companies to Companies adopt Railway Stations to support Campaign Clean India. In return, the Ministry of Railways will offer advertising opportunities to the patrons. The Ministry of Tourism will undertake branding of long distance trains running on important routes in different regions of the country, whereby one side would depict important tourism sites of the country and the other side would carry Campaign Clean India messages on mutually agreed routes and terms.
Ultimately, as cleanliness and proper hygiene are universally regarded as indispensable existential norms, the Ministry of Tourism will continue to emphasize the need for a clean environment. The MoT knows that it will positively impact the country’s image and that visitors will remember India as a clean and hygiene-minded country…
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
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