Page 35 - CIJ Sept 2025- Digital Edition
P. 35
HOUSEKEEPING
Tourism is often measured in
numbers — footfall, revenue, or global
ranking. But behind these figures
lies an equally important measure:
the ability to maintain world-class
standards of cleanliness at sites that
welcome thousands daily. Nowhere
was this more tested than at the
Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest
statue and one of India’s proudest
landmarks. Drawing lakhs of visitors
within months of its inauguration,
the monument became a case study
in how facility management along
with discipline and innovation must
work hand in hand. In this article,
Nilesh Kumar Dubey, former assistant
commissioner, Statue of Unity, and
former general manager – Gujarat
Tourism, shares his experiences.
anticipating where stress wrappers and plastic bottles Lesson from the
points would arise. Queue multiplied during peak
management, rest area hours. Traditional collection Urinals
placement, frequency of cleaning schedules were not enough; One example highlights how
schedules, and manpower we had to deploy mobile small innovations can make a
deployment were designed to squads with handheld bins big difference. The underlying
handle “surge behaviour” – the for crowd areas. problem of odour in washrooms
sudden bursts when thousands was bacterial fuming caused
converged at one point, such as • Wear and Tear: Constant by vapour condensation.
viewing galleries or food courts. usage meant taps, flush After much trial and error,
systems, and urinals needed
High visitor volume continuous maintenance. we implemented a system of
brings with it predictable A small malfunction could chemical dosing at the inlet,
yet complex challenges: snowball into hygiene lapses. combined with heated vapour
• Washroom Hygiene: With treatment, which significantly
thousands of visitors using • Visitor Behaviour: reduced bacterial growth and
facilities, odour management Educating and guiding odour.
and cleanliness become the visitors was as important as Similar practical fixes were
biggest tests of any system. physical cleaning. Simple developed across the site – from
Despite frequent cleaning, nudges like signage, audio redesigning drainage slopes to
persistent stink was a announcements, and trained repositioning waste bins where
recurring complaint. staff explaining proper use behavioural mapping showed
• Waste Disposal: Food played a huge role. higher littering.
www.cleanindiajournal.com • Clean India Journal • SEPTEMBER 2025 35
