Swach Paryatan mobile app launched to keep tourist spots clean

Indian government launches a mobile app to ensure cleanliness is maintained at 25 historical monuments across the country which are protected by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

Government says tourists can send pictures of places they find dirty or littered on which immediate action will be taken (REUTERS/Ahmad Masood)

Government on Monday launched a mobile app, which will enable travellers to send pictures of dirty spots at tourist places to the authorities for "immediate action" as part of Clean India Mission.

The 'Swachh Paryatan Mobile App', launched by the Union Ministry of Tourism, has been made available for 25 heritage monuments, including Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri and Humayun's Tomb, Qutab Minar, Red Fort, among others.

The ministry plans to extend the App to include other tourist destinations across the country, Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma said at the launch function here.

"People can send the picture of dirty places on which immediate action will be taken. Besides, people can also send their suggestions in bringing improvement at the tourist places," Sharma said.

He said nodal officers have been appointed to take immediate action to clean up the place shared by the tourists.

"The cleanliness of the place would be restored in 1-2 hour duration. If the nodal officer fails to perform, action will be taken against them," Sharma said.

Tourists have many suggestions for improving the places they visit but they do not know how to put it across to the officials, he said, adding, "now they can share the suggestions with us through the App."

Initially available on android phones, it will be accessible on Apple and Microsoft also. This mobile app shall be monitored by the project monitoring unit of Swachh Bharat Mission in Ministry of Tourism, an official statement said.

Sharma also said the 24-hour multi-language information service 'Infoline' launched by his ministry early this month has received a good response, getting an average of 11,800 calls per day.

The toll-free Infoline service, available in 12 languages including English and Hindi, provides information relating to travel and tourism in India to domestic and international tourists/visitors. It also assists the callers with advice on action to be taken during times of distress while travelling in the country and if need be alert the concerned authorities.