Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana

About

The Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) was launched on 21 January 2015 as a Central Sector Scheme with an outlay of ₹500 crore. It aimed to integrate heritage conservation with urban planning, infrastructure development and economic growth, while preserving the unique cultural character of selected heritage cities.

Objectives: The major objectives of HRIDAY were to:

• Promote heritage-sensitive urban planning and infrastructure development.
• Improve civic services and infrastructure in the core areas of historic cities.
• Preserve and revitalise the unique cultural character and heritage of cities.
• Develop a comprehensive inventory and mapping of natural, cultural, living and built heritage assets.
• Improve basic services such as sanitation, water supply, drainage, street lighting and tourist amenities.
• Promote tourism, livelihoods and inclusive heritage-based economic development.

Components

HRIDAY supported development of core heritage-linked civic infrastructure around heritage, religious, cultural and tourism assets. Major interventions included:

• Heritage documentation, mapping (using GIS System) and management plans.
• Water supply, sanitation and drainage infrastructure.
• Waste management and public conveniences.
• Approach roads, footpaths and street lighting.
• Tourist facilities and amenities.
• Landscaping and improvement of public spaces.
• Heritage walks and improved access to heritage sites.
• Capacity building and awareness activities for heritage-city management.

Selected Cities: These cities were selected primarily because of their rich cultural, historical and heritage significance. HRIDAY was implemented in 12 heritage cities:

Benefits

·   Heritage Conservation: HRIDAY helped integrate heritage conservation with urban infrastructure development, rather than treating monuments as isolated structures.

·   Improved Civic Infrastructure: Projects improved water supply, sanitation, drainage, roads, footpaths, lighting and public spaces around heritage areas.

·   Tourism Promotion: Improved accessibility, heritage walks and tourist amenities enhanced the visitor experience and tourism potential of heritage cities.

·   Livelihood Generation: The Mission promoted opportunities for local businesses, artisans, tourism-related activities and heritage-based livelihoods.

·   Inclusive Urban Development: HRIDAY sought to ensure that heritage conservation was connected with the needs of local communities, residents and businesses, rather than focusing only on monuments.

·   Important Achievement: By 2018, 63 projects worth ₹421.47 crore had been approved, with ₹241.26 crore released. Several projects included heritage roads, public parks and heritage walks.

Conclusion

HRIDAY represented a shift from monument-centric conservation to integrated heritage-city development, combining heritage preservation, civic infrastructure, tourism and livelihoods. Although the mission ended on 31 March 2019, its approach provides a useful model for balancing urban development with cultural heritage conservation.

FAQs

1. What is HRIDAY?
Ans: HRIDAY is a Central Sector Scheme launched in 2015 to integrate heritage conservation with urban infrastructure development in selected heritage cities.

2. What was the main objective of HRIDAY?
Ans: It aimed to preserve the cultural and historical character of heritage cities while improving civic infrastructure and promoting tourism and local livelihoods.

3. How many cities were selected under HRIDAY?
Ans: HRIDAY was implemented in 12 heritage cities, including Varanasi, Mathura, Ajmer, Amritsar, Puri, Gaya and Warangal.

4. What type of projects were supported under HRIDAY?
Ans: The scheme supported heritage mapping, sanitation, water supply, drainage, roads, footpaths, street lighting, heritage walks, public spaces and tourist amenities.

5. When did the HRIDAY Scheme end?
Ans: HRIDAY was implemented for a four-year period and concluded on 31 March 2019.