Swedish tourists on cleaniness drive in Jaipur
by Lokendra Singh

     Jaipur: They came to India as tourists for having a nice holiday. But the untidy look around the exotic palaces and forts in Jaipur motivated them to take up a cleaniness drive to make people aware of the importance of keeping their city clean. Arrica and Shinet, two foreign tourists from Sweden and Ireland volunteered to clean the garbage at Jal Mahal (or, Water Palace) known for its intricate architecture, to make tourists as well as locals realise the significance of keeping their place tidy. The Jal Mahal(Water Palace), provides an amazing view of the beautiful Man Sagar Lake. Built in 1799, it now lies abandoned. Moreover, a large number of tourists thronging the palace has led to water pollution and accumulation of polythene bags and other waste material left by the visitors.

      Reading a few write-ups in newspapers on pollution ruining the beauty of the place, Arrica and Shinet decided to spend the next few weeks in Jaipur. "I had read some articles that the lake is very polluted and is in desperate need of rejuvenation. So, I thought it would be a good thing to sacrifice four weeks of time and help make it a better tourist attraction," said Shinet, a tourist from Ireland. They would also visit the heritage site of Amer Fort in an endeavor to clean-up the place. The initiative has been well- received by locals who say that removal of polythene and waste materials will surely help. "It's good they are cleaning the place. They are clearing the place of polythene and other dirt. It's very nice and encouraging," said Mohammad Farrukhan. Rajasthan, which houses magnificent palaces, sand dunes, wildlife and rich culture, has witnessed a tourism spurt with more than a million foreign and 16 million domestic tourists arriving in 2004. October and March are considered to be the peak season for tourism in India. The numbe of tourists drops in the summer months when temperatures in most parts of the country soar over 40 degrees Celsius. Analysts say Indian tourism suffers mainly from poor marketing, with the sector unable to exploit the potential of the country's snow-clad Himalayas, jungles, palaces and sun-soaked beaches. India spendst 10.5 million dollars a year promoting itself globally.
-Oct 5, 2005

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