Jaipur gears up for restoration for the second Smart City Project anniversary

Jaipur has cleaned up its heritage for the second anniversary of the launch of the Centre’s smart city project. A whooping Rs 483.65 crore has been funded to promote tourism in the state.  “The idea is to restore Jaipur’s heritage so that it can be cherished by the city’s people and explored by travellers who visit Jaipur for its architectural beauty and rich culture,” said JSCL chairman Manjit Singh. The Union urban development ministry has, additionally, approved investments worth Rs 2,401 crore for Jaipur under the project. The facilities which would be developed under the smart city project include multi- modal mobility, smart solid waste management, wifi network in some areas and high-tech classrooms.

The exploitation of the buildings and subsequently, their facades, has lead to the city, originally given the title of ‘Pink City’, work towards its facade management. An estimated Rs 14.6 crore, in nine areas, has been kept for the restoration of the same.

“We want to revive the lost beauty of the Pink City and will do this by repairing the damage, removing the clutter and repainting the facade with the original colour. We want to preserve the fabric and character of the walled city,” said Singh, who is also principal secretary, local self government. Kavita Jain, the smart city project conservation architect, expects to be able to complete the task by 2018 while using traditional methods in the preparation of lime plaster and also using ‘khamira’ color on the walls.