Red Fort ‘adopted’ by cement company Dalmia

Ministry of Tourism has signed an MoU with Dalmia Bharat and the Archaeological Survey of India to adopt the iconic Red Fort monument in New Delhi and Gandikota Fort in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh under the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ project.

The ‘Adopt a Heritage’ scheme, launched by President Ram Nath Kovind on World Tourism Day in September last year, invites government and private parties to operate and maintain heritage sites.

With a budget of more than Rs 5 crore per year, Dalmia Cements joins “monument mitras” including other private sector companies, which will look after the operations and maintenance of the site for five years, it said.

Under the project, the company will construct, landscape, illuminate and maintain activities related to provision and development of tourist amenities. This includes basic and advanced amenities such as public conveniences, clean drinking water, cleanliness of the monument, accessibility for all, signage, cloakroom facilities, illumination and night viewing, surveillance system, tourist facilitation-cum-interpretation centre.

Keeping in mind the easy accessibility to the differently-abled visitors, there will be ramps and toilet facilities for the differently-abled. Facilities like wheelchairs, battery-operated vehicles, braille signages are some of the key additions, which will make the Red Fort a barrier-free monument.

Advanced surveillance systems like pan-tilt-zoom CCTV cameras will be installed. Dalmia Bharat will also assist in controlling the advanced tourist flow management system linked with carrying capacity of the monuments, including light and sound shows with regular cultural shows and facilitation of night visits to the monuments.