CITY LEVEL BACK GROUND PAPER

ON
AJMER

FOR

THE URBAN INDIA REFORMS FACILITY (UIRF)

AT
INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDY
TATA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

PREPARED BY
INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDY, JAIPUR
Prof. K N Joshi, IDS, Jaipur
Dr Sunita Pachouri, Associate Professor, Govt. College Ajmer
Dr Monika Kannan, Assistant Professor, Sophia Girls College, Ajmer

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I BACKGROUND TO AJMER

1.1

1.2

Page No.

Geographical Attributes
1.1.1

Historical Significance

1.1.2

Regional setting

1.1.3

Climate

1.1.4

Population attributes

Economic History and Current Economic Activity including Industrial

/trading Activity

1.3

1.4

1.2.1

Spatial and Economic Growth

1.2.2

Land use

1.2.3

Occupational Pattern

Traffic and Transport

1.3.1

Linkages

1.3.2

Transport System

Tourism and Heritage Conservation

1.4.1

Heritage Potential

1.4.2

Tourist Points of Ajmer

1.4.3

Tourist Arrivals

1.4.4

Tourism Infrastructure

1.4.5

Accommodation available in Ajmer

CHAPTER II URBAN PROBLEMS AND THEIR DIAGNOSIS IN AJMER

2.1

Major issues of urban problems and their diagnosis

2.2

Water Supply

2.3

Issues related to housing

2.4

Issues related to transport

2.5

Issues related to tourist department

2.6

Encroachment problems in the city

CHAPTER III ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF URBAN PLANNING

3.1

The mission in Ajmer

3.2

Ajmer City Development Plan An Appraisal

3.3

Housing Demand Estimation

3.4

City Investment Plan (CIP)

CHAPTER IV

J AWAHARLAL NEHRU NATIONAL URBAN RENEWAL

MISSION AND ITS EXECUTION

4.1

Introduction to JNNURM

4.2

Objectives of the Research

4.3

Ajmer Municipal Council

4.4

Urban Improvement Trust, Ajmer

4.5

PHED Ajmer

CHAPTER V PROJECT/REFORMS: THEIR EXECUTION AND ASSESSMENT

5.1

Urbanization, Urban Planning and the CDP

5.2

Features of a City Development Plan

5.3

Rationale for Selection of Ajmer and Pushkar as a Single Urban

Agglomeration

CHAPTER VI CONCLUSION

ii

List of Figure
Page No.

1.

Showing Population growth in Ajmer District

2.

Showing Population density in different wards

3.

Showing population of different major cities in Rajasthan

12

4.

Month wise tourist Travel-Foreign

30

5.

Month wise tourist Travel-Domestic

31

6.

Showing Total Tourist Arrivals in Ajmer

36

7.

Showing structure of UIT

103

8.

Showing Structure of PHED

104

9.

Showing Financial structure of PHED

105

10.

Showing the major issues in Ajmer Pushkar region

122

11.

Showing major problems in Pushkar

124

12.

Showing the ideal network for development

126

List of Tables

Page No.
1.

Showing growth of population in Ajmer

2.

Classification of census houses

15

3.

Classification of census houses by number of rooms

15

4.

Occupational distribution, Census 2001

19

5.

Details of Registered Industrial Units with the District Industry Centre 20

6.

List of Heritage monuments in Ajmer

23

7.

Showing Accommodations available in Ajmer

36

8.

Water Demand Ajmer Municipal Council

45

9.

Summary of Capital investment

61

10.

Project funding under CIP (Rs Crore)

63

11.

Projects planned for improvement

106

iii

List of Maps
Page No.
1.

Map of Ajmer District

2.

Land Use Map of Ajmer

13

3.

Land Use Map for Ajmer, Master Plan 2001

18

4.

Showing ground water potential in Ajmer

22

5.

Showing transport network of Ajmer

26

6.

Map showing Road map of Ajmer

28

7.

Land Use Map of Ajmer

39

iv

CHAPTER I
BACKGROUND TO AJMER
1.1

Geographical attributes

Introduction
The historic city of Ajmer is situated in the geographic centre of Rajasthan and lies about
135 kms south-west of the state capital, Jaipur. It stretches from 2625 North to
2629North and 7437 East to 7440 East.The strategic position of this city has been
the key to its long and rather turbulent history. In its long history of about 1400 years
Ajmer has witnessed many changes which have been significant in shaping the urban
morphology of the city. The City is strategically located between important tourist route
of the state, i.e. Jaipur- Jodhpur and Jaipur-Udaipur. Besides, traditionally Ajmer has
been an important education centre in the region. Mayo College (1875), Sophia School
(1919), Government College(1836) are premier institutes in the city imparting knowledge
since the last century.
Ajmer is vividly situated in the junction of two valleys- one formed be the Taragarh and
Madar Hills and the other by the Madar Hill and Bhutia Dungar. Habitation of the city is
found in atleast 6 valleys.
These arex

Between the Taragarh Hill and Madar Hill, the main settlement
x

Between the Taragarh Hill and Madar Hill and the Nag Pahar
x

Between the Nag Pahar and Madar Hill

x

Between the Mahabir Hill and Madar Hill

x

Between the Madar Hill and Bhutia Dugar which takes the name Sulia Dungar far
in the north east.

1.1.1

Historical Significance

Ajmer was founded by Ajaipal Chauhan, in 7th century and derives its name from Ajay
Meru the invincible hill, at the foot of which the present city stands. Ajaipal also built
India s first hill fort at Taragah. Ajmer was a Chauhan stronghold till 1194. The only
remains of the Chauhan dynasty are the fort and the beautiful Anasagar Lake built in
1150 by Anaji. It was during the regime of Prithviraj Chauhan, in 1194, that Muhammad

of Ghori invaded India. Ajmer remained under the Sultanate till 1326. Thereafter, it
became a bone of contention between the Sultans of Delhi, the Ranas of Mewar, the
Rathores of Marwar and the Sultans of Gujarat. Peace was restored with the accession of
Akbar to the Mughal throne in 1556. He made Ajmer a full fledged province and the base
for his operations in Rajputana.

Map:1 Map of Ajmer District

Source: Maps of India

He fortified the city, but only parts of the 4045-yard (3735-m) long wall remain. In 1659
a battle was fought in Ajmer between the Mughal princes, Aurangzeb and Dara Sukoh,
during which Taragarh was significantly damaged. In the first half of the 18th century,
Ajmer was affected by the political chaos in Delhi and the Scindia rulers of Gwalior took
over the city. In 1755, the situation became more complex with the involvement of the
Marathas. In 1818, finally the Marathas ceded Ajmer to Sir David Ochterlony and, as part
of the British Empire; it remained under the care of successive superintendents. During
British rule, the city became the regional headquarters of the British government for
controlling the princely states of Rajputana and Malwa. Post independence, with the
reorganization of the princely states, Ajmer became a part of Rajasthan.

1.1.2 Regional Setting

Ajmer is situated in the cradle of the Aravalli mountain ranges in the centre of Rajasthan
State, surrounded by three hills of Aravalli Ranges i.e. Nag hills, Madar hills & Taragarh
hills at an average of 486.0 metres above MSL. The natural topography has resulted in
creation of a number of water bodies which form an integral part of the city today.
Anasagar, which forms the focal point of the city, was created during the rule of Anaji
(after whom the lake was named) by building a dam across the Bandi river. Anasagar
acted as the natural boundary in the north-west direction and the city historically grew
towards the southern direction, downstream the lake created by the dam.

The city has excellent connectivity, both road and rail, within the State and beyond. The
city locational significance, as a sub-regional centre for trade and commerce, can be
understood by the fact that it serves as an intersection point for three National Highways
(NH 8, NH 79 and NH 89). NH 8 connecting Delhi - Mumbai bifurcates the city,
northeast to southwest. NH 79 and NH 89 originate from Ajmer, and connect to Bhilwara
and Bikaner repectively. The city is served by a By-pass Road along NH 8, to facilitate
movement of heavy traffic. Other major roads include state highway roads, connecting to
Ararka and Pushkar. The city serves as an important railway junction along the recently
upgraded Delhi-Ahmedabad Broad Gauge Line. Apart from this, the city has served as
base for a major Railway Workshop, which houses activities like manufacturing, repairs
and modification of railway coaches.

1.1.3 Climate
The city has moderate climate, with daily temperatures ranging from 26.90C to 39.40C
during May, and 7.60C to 22.50C during January, the coldest month. The average rainfall
is about 50cm and average humidity is 57%. The rainfall in the region is very erratic. The
city recorded maximum rainfall of 1200.4 mm in 1975 leading to severe floods.

1.1.4 Population Attributes

Population Growth
The population of Ajmer was 4.85 Lakh as per 2001 census growing at a decadal growth
rate of 20% as compared to the 1991 population. The present population of Ajmer is
estimated at around 5.4 Lakh (at the rate of 2% annual growth). As shown in Table 3,
over the last six decades the population of the city has grown more than three folds from
1.47 Lakh in 1941 to 4.85 Lakh in 2001. This population growth of Ajmer could largely
be attributed to: Post independence high migration which resulted in a 33% increase in
population. Establishment of a Regional College, a Medical College and Hindustan
Machine Tools Factory in 1960s which accelerated city growth Change in municipal
jurisdiction before the 1981 and 1991 Census. In 1981 the Ajmer Municipal jurisdiction
was increased to include the nearby villages but in 1987 the municipal boundary was
changed to the present area of 55 sq.km (District Gazetteer 2001).

Ajmer ranks fifth among the cities in Rajasthan in population terms with a population of
4.85 Lakh (as per Census 2001) while Jaipur, the state capital is the largest urban centre,
accounting for 17% of the state s urban population. Indicated below is a comparison of
population across five major cities of the State, based on Census 2001.

Figure:1 Showing Population growth in Ajmer District

Analysis
Apart from the resident population, the city has a high floating population (avg. 1.25
Lakh/month, i.e. approximately 4000 tourists/day). Being the District and the Division
Head Quarter, the numerous administrative functions result in regular floating population
from the entire district. During Urs, daily tourist traffic goes upto 30,000. Besides this the
residential schools like Mayo College, Sophia school and engineering and medical
colleges also generate transit population into the city. In absence of any major trigger for
migration, population growth in the city has been at a moderate rate. Should the economy
pick up in the city, Ajmer will witness significant inward migration pressure.

Density
Ajmer is a low density city with a highly dense inner core, with population density of
over 50,000 persons/sq.km. The Anasagar zone consisting of Anasagar area, Vaishali
Nagar and Chaurasiyawas have the lowest density of less than 2,000 persons/sq.km.
While the gross average density of the city is 5,750 persons/sq.km. In 1991 there were 45
wards in Ajmer; however the wards were increased to 55 in 1995 and the population of 45
wards was redistributed into 55 wards. The ward-wise density is shown in the graph

below. Figure below, indicates the skewed distribution of population, across 55 wards of
Ajmer, as per Census 2001 ( Economic Geography of Rajasthan: Nathuramka) .
Table:1 Showing growth of population in Ajmer

It is noticed that the most densely populated wards are in the Inner City (Ward no. 15, 16,
17, 19, 20, 22, 29, 30, 32), especially around the Dargah Area Wardwise analysis,
indicates a skewed distribution of population, with more than 50 % of the wards having
low or moderate density, mainly attributed to the physical constraints of growth in Ajmer.
In areas of concentration, it is noticed that the population density is as high as 100,000
persons/sq.km, which is one of the reasons for environmental degradation and poor
quality of life, in these areas.

Figure:2 Showing Population density in different wards

Literacy
Ajmer has a literacy rate of 73.4% against the State average of 63.6%, which can be
attributed to the City s seat as an important education centre with a number of schools and
colleges. Male literacy is 79% while female literacy levels are lower at 67%. There are
around 350 primary and secondary schools in Ajmer. For higher education there is the
renowned Government College, Maharishi Dayanand University, Medical College,
Regional Institute of Technology, Engineering College and Polytechnic. These institutes
act as regional centers catering to students from the entire district as well as the State. The
census data reveals that although literacy levels are high, only 28% of the literate males
complete secondary education, while the corresponding figure for females is only 24%.
This indicates a high drop out rate at secondary school level. In spite of the presence of a
number of institutes for higher studies, the census data reveals that only 1.6% of the male
population is technically qualified while only 1% female population pursues technical or
post graduate courses.

Social composition
The Schedule Caste population comprises of 22% of the population while the share of
Schedule Tribe population is only 1.7% of the total population of Ajmer as per
2001Census results.

1.2 ECONOMIC HISTORY AND CURRENT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

Introduction
Ajmer has evolved around a religious core synonymous with the city. In its present form
the city constitutes of an organic inner city which is distinct in its character from the
peripheral area which has developed in the last two centuries. This chapter discusses the
historical growth of the city and present land management scenario. The future demands
in terms of urban growth and housing are also discussed in this section.

1.2.1 Spatial and Economic Growth

Till the 18th century the town grew organically around the Dargah of Khwaja
Mouinuddin Chisti, south of Anasagar. After 1818 the city came under the British Empire
and subsequently Ajmer Municipal Council was established in 1869. The inception of
colonial era marked the birth of two distinct cities - the new colonial city and the
indigenous city. Setting up of new institutions like schools (Mayo College and Sophia
7

school), colleges, law courts, hospitals, military and railway establishments in IndoSarsenic style redefined the spatial structure in the new expansion areas of the old city
that served both native and European population. Subsequent growth took place around
the old city.

The railway workshop in Ajmer is amongst the oldest workshops in India, established in
1876 by the Rajputana-Malwa State Railway.

Figure :3 Showing population of different major cities in Rajasthan

1.2.2 Land Use

The spatial growth of the city is guided by Master Plan prepared by the Town and
Country Planning Organisation. The first Master Plan of the city for the period of 19711991 was notified in 1976, which was further extended to 2001. Subsequently a Revised
Master Plan for the period 2001 to 2023 was prepared which was sanctioned in April
2005. This Sanctioned Master Plan is the guiding plan for spatial development of Ajmer
till 2023.

Map :2 Land Use Map of Ajmer

Source: ADA

Existing Situation
As per the existing land use plan the total urbanized area is 13,444 acres (53.8 sq.km) of
which 11,482 acres (45.9 sq.km) is the developed area, i.e. 85% of the total urban area is
developed so far. 5% of the total area is government reserved land under CRPF and
Defence force. The remaining 10% comprises of open spaces and water bodies. Of the
total developed area the largest land is under residential use (45%) followed by transport
(18%) and public and semi public use (12%). The table below compares the land use
pattern in 2001 with that proposed in 2023 as per the Ajmer Master Plan 2023. Ajmers
urban development is typical of any old historic town in the country with a high density
historic urban core and a vast low density urban sprawl. Prominent occurrence of mixed
land uses, in the inner city is a key feature. The pattern of growth is a ring and radial
pattern with a central nucleus.

Residential
The residential development is currently spread over 24 sq. kms. High density of
residential development is found in the inner city area around the Dargah. The densities
are low in the peripheral areas developed the UIT, Ajmer. While the UIT colonies are
well planned with a regular street pattern, well shaped plots and spaces for public use, the
old areas are devoid of public spaces and a regular street pattern. Proposed master plan
earmarks additional 38 sq.kms for residential development, primarily along Beawar Road
and along Jaipur Road, which needs to be developed and supplemented through sustained
capital investment in laying of infrastructure, over the vast area.

Table:2

Table:3

Commercial
While the residential developments over the last few decades have been spreading
outwards, the commercial activities are still concentrated in and around the inner city in
the form of traditional bazaars e.g. Naya Bazaar, Dargah bazaar. The retail trade is
concentrated along Kutchery road, Station Road, Prithviraj Road. Most of the wholesale

10

business and warehousing activities still continue in the inner city. These activities
demand substantial space in the prime areas and attract heavy vehicles thus adding to the
problem of congestion.

The Master plan has proposed to shift these wholesale activities out of the inner city
towards Jaipur Road and Beawar Road. Beawar Road seems an appropriate location for
Wholesale activities because of good connectivity (NH-8) and the presence of the newly
developed Transport Nagar in the area. In view of the high density and congestion,
existing in the City, the proposed area earmarked under commercial is confined to
sustainable levels only. Majority of areas proposed are in newly developing areas and
along the Transport Corridors.

Industrial
The area under industrial use is 2.3 sq. km. As mentioned in the previous section
industrial activity in the town is very limited. HMT is the only major industrial unit in
Ajmer. Apart

Recreation
There seems to be an acute dearth of recreation spaces in Ajmer. Anasagar Lake and the
Baradari is the most prominent recreation centre of the town which also attracts large
number of tourists. Presently Patel Maidan is the only stadium in the city where district
level tournaments are held. With a view to promote tourism and improve ambient
environment in the City, the proposed area earmarked under recreational use has been
substantially increase. This is to be utilized to develop city level open spaces and green
areas, playground and water bodies.

Transport
Land under transport constitutes the second largest use. The high portion of land use
under transport is because of the railway establishments and National Highway 8 and the
newly built NH-8 bye-pass, passing through the city outskirts. Indian Railways is the
largest land owner in the city. Two railway lines, broad gauge and meter gauge lines pass
through Ajmer. Railway Board has railway workshops spread over hundreds of acres of
land in the centre of the city, which account for high percentage of land under transport
use.
11

Map:3 Land Use Map for Ajmer, Master Plan 2001

(Source: Ajmer Dev. Authority)

12

Local Economic Base

The working population of Ajmer comprises 28% of the total population of the city, of
which 90% population constitutes main workers whereas the rest 10% fall under marginal
workers category.

1.2.3 Occupational Pattern

Traditionally, Ajmer has been an important commercial, administrative, transportation
and education centre of the region. With the presence of the famous Dargah of the Sufi
saint Khwaja Mouinuddin Chisti in the city and close proximity to Pushkar (the religious
town); tourism is also a major contributor to the city s economy. Ajmer being the District
and Division Head Quarter, houses many of the State and Central Government
administrative offices and district level education institutions. Ajmer being the District
and Division Head Quarter, houses many of the State and Central Government
administrative offices and district level education institutions. The number of offices and
the number of people employed are given in the following table:

Table:4 Occupational distribution, Census 2001

Occupation Category
Primary sector

No. of workers
9,330

Industry

33,384

Trade & Commerce

Construction

28,311
8,246

Transport, Storage & Communication

Others
Total

14,938
39,648
133,857

%
7.0
24.
9
21.
2
6.2
11.
2
29.
6
100

13

Table 5 :Details of Registered Industrial Units with the District Industry Centre
(DIe)

SNo. Type of Industry

5
6
7
8
9
10
11

12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Scientific Equipment & MachineParts

PiasticWorks & Utensiis
CementProducts
Stones & Minerai Grinding Works
Refrigeration & Dairy
Eiectronic Goods
Chemicais & Products
Paan Masaia & Gutkha
Press, News Print & News Papers
Paper Products
Printing & Pubiications
Sewing Machines
Automobiie Parts
Furniture Works
CottonWaste & SizingWorks
Gas Piant
Total

No. of Units

rce

18
7
4
19
5
5
9
3
4
6
4
2
7
6
4
I

165

345
43
70
212
474
238
68
52
169
60
26
39
650
650
34
18
6,401

Industrialization started in Ajmer with the establishment of the Railway workshop way
back in 1876. The Railway Board is the largest employer with approximate 10,000 people
employed in its manufacturing and repair workshops. The Railway workshop and HMT
factory are the only major large scale industrial units in the city. However production
activity is very limited and mainly repair works are undertaken. Ajmer is also a large
market for metal scrap, receiving steel scrap from across the state. Availability of metal
has resulted in growth of a number of small scale industries such as foundries & iron
works.

These foundries are mainly engaged in manufacture of machine tools used for cutting
marble and granite. Emergence of marble industry in Kishangarh has boosted this
segment. Some of the units also supply tools for granite industries in Karnataka. RIICO,
the apex organization in State engaged in fostering the growth of industrialization has
developed two industrial estates (for small scale industries) at Parbatpura and Makhupura.

14

There are 165 Registered Industrial Units with the District Industry Centre (refer to Table
1.4 for details) providing employment to around 6,500 individuals, one third of which is
engaged in bidi manufacture. Bidi and gota manufacturing constitute a significant part of
the informal household industry. Local crafts such as bangles and silver jewelry also
employ a large number of women. Ajmer also acts as a wholesale commercial centre for
the surrounding towns and villages. There are also a large number of poultry farms in and
around Ajmer. The moderate climate of Ajmer is conducive to poultry farming and it
supplies poultry products to the other cities in the state.

With the presence of Dargah in the city and the proximity of the city to Pushkar, tourism
is also a key economic driver. Tourism related services provide employment to a
considerable percentage of the population in the formal and informal sector - hotels,
restaurants, tour operators, transport operators, retail trade.

15

Map4: Showing ground water potential in Ajmer

Analysis
Key issues indicated below are based on discussions with municipal and state government
officials in Ajmer, key local stakeholder, and observations during field visits to the City.
The city of Ajmer has had a long history and enjoyed political and economic prominence
in the region. Ajmer needs to redefine its identity in the current economic context and
build its positioning in its area of relative competence. The city profile indicates that
although it had a strong industrial base during the colonial era it has declined over the last
few decades with no new large or medium scale industries being set up in Ajmer. The two

16

industrial estates set up by RIICO house only small scale units. Ajmer has been restricted
to being a commercial and administrative centre for the district,

which is too limited in its potential to promote rapid economic growth. A key concern
many stakeholders expressed is that the younger generation prefers to migrate out of the
city after completing their education as job prospects are deemed better elsewhere. With a
large number of Government employees working in the city, there are concerns that the
city will gradually turn into a pensioners city. Although tourism in Ajmer has tremendous
potential, little has been done to leverage the tourist inflow into Rajasthan and therefore
the tourism levels in Ajmer are very low as compared to other major cities of the State.

1.3 TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT

Introduction
Transport infrastructure plays a critical role in the growth and development of the city and
the surrounding hinterland. It is one of the most important infrastructure facilities in any
city. Besides providing regional connectivity to the city for movement of people and
goods/ commodities to and from the city, it also guides the spatial growth of the city by
connecting the peripheral areas to the city centre which is generally the economic hub.
Table 6:

1.3.1 Linkages
The city is well connected by road and rail to other major cities in the state. Ajmer is an
important railway junction on the Delhi-Ahmedabad section of the Western Railway.
There are three National Highways which are touching Ajmer, namely, NH 8 (from Delhi
to Mumbai), NH 79 (from Ajmer to Indore) and NH 89 (from Ajmer to Bikaner). Out of
this, major portion of NH 8 and NH 79, are part of the Golden Quadrilateral component

17

of the National Highway Development Project which is a time bound programme, and has
been commissioned in 2005. (Based on Primary data by researcher).

Besides these national linkages there are many state highways and Major District Roads
linking Ajmer to other centers in the region. Ajmer being an important pilgrimage
destination attracts heavy road and rail traffic during festive seasons. Thus there are
occasional peak demands on the transport network. Ajmer and Pushkar are connected by
two roads, one passing through Nosar Ghati and the other passing through MDS
University - Janana Hospital - Makarwali - Hokara.The second route is part of NH 89,
however the geometrics of the roads needs to be improved.

Road Network
The urban structure of Ajmer reflects a radial form which has resulted because of
restrictions imposed by the surrounding hills. The road network map given below shows
the 8 radial roads emerging from the city, of which the major traffic corridors are Jaipur
Road in the north-east, Beawar road and Naseerabad Road in the south and Pushkar Road
in north-west direction. Of these roads only Jaipur Road, Beawar Road are four-laned.
Most of the internal city roads are single lane or intermediate lane reflecting improper
planning of road network.

The transport network clearly shows absence of road hierarchy leading to traffic
problems. The common problems faced on the main transport corridors within the city are
frequent interference of on-street parking, encroachment by informal sector, uncontrolled
stoppage of intermediate public transport vehicles for long duration on the carriageway,
and insufficient facilities for pedestrians. All of these together have aggravated the traffic
problems in the city Geography of Rajasthan: L.R Bhalla).

Railways
The broad gauge and meter gauge rail lines passing through the city result in a number of
railway level crossings which are major bottlenecks for traffic movement. The road
network map reveals that there is only one north-south corridor, which carries almost the
entire city traffic between Gandhi Bhawan and Martindale Bridge; all the other accesses
are restricted by level crossings. However, the ROB at CRPF crossing which is under
construction would help in reducing the traffic load on Station Road. The Ajmer city By18

pass (NH-8 By-pass) is effective in carrying the entire National highway commercial
traffic, from outside the city. All the three agencies - Municipal Council, UIT and PWD
are engaged in construction and maintenance of city roads.

UIT maintains the roads within the schemes developed by it, PWD maintains state
highways and national highways, and the Municipal Council maintains the internal city
roads. Ajmer city comprises of 455 km of roads of which, only 57 percent are Surfaced
Roads. Apart from this, 11 percent of roads are WBM and 32 percent constitutes earthen
roads. The Highway Roads (NH and SH Roads) maintained by PWD in Ajmer is about
96.7 km of which 5% (4.6km) is intermediate lane width, 6% (5.7km) is 4-Lane divided
carriageway (NH -8) and the remaining 89% (86.4km) is 2 lane.

Inner city Roads

As in other walled cities of the country, the road network in the inner city area of Ajmer,
is quite inefficient and inadequate for the present day traffic, with little or no scope for
widening. The traffic in this area is characterized by - very high degree of pedestrian
traffic attributable to the Dargah complex and its precincts; presence of commercial
activities including informal establishments that encroach upon the road network; and
absence of organized parking spaces. Currently, there are some traffic management
measures in place, such as restriction on movement of vehicles on the road leading to the
Dargah Sharif. However, due to lack of strict enforcement, it fails to give relief to the
inner city traffic situation.

19

Map 4: Showing transport network of Ajmer

1.3.2 Transport System

Inter-City Public Transport: Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC)
operates a fleet of 222 buses with 873 arrivals into and departures from Ajmer. RSRTC
buses mainly serve long distance inter-city trips and medium distance shuttle services
from the bus terminus near the Collectorate on Jaipur Road. There are 3 major routes and
2 minor routes on which the buses operate. The distribution of RSRTC bus trips from
Ajmer terminal are:
34% towards Jaipur along NH-8
20% towards Beawar along NH-8
18% towards Naseerabad along NH-89
28% towards Bikaner via Pushkar along NH-89 and other nearby areas.

20

Private buses also make long distance inter-city trips from different locations in the city.
Presently they operate from Ghooghra Ghati for Jaipur side and from Ramganj for
Udaipur side. The long distance private buses do not have any authorized off-street
terminals so they are seen to occupy carriageways at Ramganj area causing problems to
traffic movement. There is also another terminal for private buses near Baradari, for
making trips to the nearby villages.

Intermediate Public Transport (private vehicles) from different parts of the city.
Intermediate Public Transport vehicles in Ajmer comprise:
x

150 mini buses

x

600 Tempos / mini doors

x

3,500 auto rickshaws

Mini buses and tempos operate on a fixed route and fixed fare basis for short distance
trips within Ajmer, while auto rickshaws operate on free route pattern without any fixed
rate. Mini buses and tempos do not have proper terminal facilities or amenities for
passengers. The city also lacks designated stops for public transport operation.

21

Map:5 Map showing Road map of Ajmer

Source: Maps of India

1.4 TOURISM AND HERITAGE CONSERVATION
Introduction
Ajmer has been for time immemorial, a great centre of pilgrimage for more than one faith
Hinduism, Jainism and Islam, a feature that gives this city its unique character. The city is
a genuine amalgam of rich Hindu, Jain and Islamic architecture and heritage. The great
Sufi saint Khwaja Moin-ud-din-Chisti of Persia, was buried here, and his Dargah is
equally sacred for the followers of Islam, as well as Hinduism. The city caters to the
religious pursuit for one of the most important religious events registered across the
nation - the Urs , celebrated in the month of August at the Dargah. It is celebrated over a
period of 6 days, when the influx of domestic pilgrims peaks to approximately 4 lakh per
day. Although, the city administration makes special arrangements for provision of
22

services during the period, given the strength of gathering the services and amenities are
restrained to a breaking point causing inconvenience to the pilgrims and tourists. The
picturesque setting of this city, surrounded by Aravalli hills offers a distinctive character
to the city. This study focuses on built heritage and natural heritage of Ajmer. Situation
assessment draws on information provided by INTACH and ASI, with focus on heritage
and tourism potential, institutional set-up and policy framework, conservation efforts and
identification of key issues.

Figure :4

1.4.1 Heritage Potential

The inventory of heritage monuments in Ajmer includes religious buildings, civic
buildings and natural features. Based on field visits and discussions with officials, it is
understood that most of the religious monuments are maintained in fair condition by
trusts or committee. Of these, few monuments have high architectural and tourism
significance, although they are not adequately provided with infrastructure and facilities
like proper approach road with pavements, public convenience facility, parking areas etc.
The listing of heritage buildings for Ajmer, presented below, is based on 2 categories
depending on the nature of use of the buildings.

23

Figure :5

1.4.2 Tourist Points of Ajmer

These sites include architectural and natural heritage sites, as elaborated below.
The Dargah
The Dargah is the tomb of a Sufi saint, Khwaja Moinud-din-Chisti, who came to Ajmer
from Persia in 1192. Construction of the shrine was completed by Humayun
Adhai-Din-Ka Jhonpara
One of the finest examples of Indo-Islamic architecture, this mosque was a Sanskrit
college in the 12th century
Akbar s Fort
It is the most important Mughal building from a historical perspective
Nasiyan (Jain Temple)
The Red temple near Mahaveer Circle is a Jain temple built in the 19th century.
Anasagar Lake and Bharadari Pavilion
This lake was built by Anaji during 1135-1150 AD. This lake is located towards the north
of Ajmer city.
Foysagar Lake
Foysagar Lake is a picturesque artificial lake, around 5km south-west of Ana Sagar

24

Taragarh Fort
Built in the 7th century by Ajaipal Chauhan, the fort gives birds eye view of the city.
When viewed from the valley down below at night the fortress on the crest of the hill
looks like a star adorned.

Shah Jahan's Mosque

This mosque is the most beautiful of all the structures, in the Dargah precinct. It is made
of white marble, delicately carved with trellis-work.

1.4.3 Tourist Arrivals

Tourism is an important segment of the Indian economy, contributing about 5.3% of the
country s GDP. The tourism sector is a large industry comprising wide array of operators
from hotels to local transport players. Thus the tourism industry makes a significant
impact on the local economy of the region and generates large employment opportunities.

Rajasthan continues to be one of the most favourite tourism destinations in India. The
State has experienced a record arrival of more than 11.3 lakh foreign tourists and 187 lakh
domestic tourists during 2005, signifying a 17% rise in domestic tourists and 16%
increase in foreign tourists as against 2004 figures. Out of the total tourists visiting
Rajasthan, Mount Abu, Udaipur, Jaipur and Pushkar attract the maximum number of
tourists both domestic and foreign. Maximum numbers of tourists visit Udaipur, followed
by Jaipur, Pushkar and Jaisalmer. In 2005, Ajmer attracted only 8% of the total domestic
tourists coming to Rajasthan while the city s share of foreign tourists was only 1%.

Over the last five years there has been a steady increase in the domestic arrivals in the
city, except for 2003 when there was a drop in both domestic and foreign tourists. The
year 2005 recorded a 34 % increase in tourist arrivals as against 16% the previous year.
But the number of foreign tourists has decreased sharply from 54,040 in 2001 to only
15,139 in 2005. The unique feature of tourism in Ajmer is the large number of day
tourists who stop over at Ajmer enroute from Jaipur moving towards Jodhpur or Udaipur,
which are more popular destinations. The nature of tourism in Ajmer is mainly religious
tourism. The Dargah attracts large number of tourists all round the year, but the tourist
flow peaks during the Urs (fair), typically occurring in the month of August every year.
The monthly flow of tourists reveals interesting trends. Domestic tourist arrivals of about
25

100,000 a month, barring the summer months of May, June and July, provide a clear base
load for the tourism industry in Ajmer. This base load translates to arrivals of about 3,500
persons per day. However, in the month of the Urs, tourist arrivals peak at about 400,000.
Foreign tourist arrivals are more dependent on favorability of the climate, and therefore
are high in the November to March period, barring the month of August for the Urs.

1.4.4 Tourism Infrastructure

Ajmer is well connected to Jaipur and other cities in the state and to the national capital
by rail and road. The nearest airport is at Jaipur which is 132km away. The
accommodation facilities available in the city are inadequate, considering the large
number of tourists visiting the city. There is only one star hotel in Ajmer. The table below
reveals that the accommodation capacity in Ajmer is tuned to cater to the base load of
tourist inflow.

1.4.5 Accommodation available in Ajmer

Arrangements made for Urs
Most of the pilgrims who visit the Dargah during the festival period are very poor and
cannot afford to pay for accommodation. These pilgrims are accommodated free of cost at
Vishram Sthalis (resting camps) located at Anasagar bank, near Transport Nagar on
Beawar Road and at Kayad near MDS University. These are temporary camps with basic
water and mobile toilets provided by UIT and Municipal Council of Ajmer. The sanitary
conditions at these vishram sthalis are very poor. Rajasthan State Road Transport
Corporation arranges for additional 125 buses to bring pilgrims from various cities.

26

Table :6 List of Heritage monuments in Ajmer

27

Figure: 6 Showing Total Tourist Arrivals in Ajmer

Table: 7 Showing Accommodations available in Ajmer

28

CHAPTER II
URBAN PROBLEMS AND THEIR DIAGNOSIS IN AJMER
2.1 MAJOR ISSUES O F URBAN PROBLEMS AND THEIR DIAGNOSIS IN
AJMER
The Issues indicated below are based on Discussions with Officials and Key Stakeholder,
and observation during Field Visits to the City.

Growth constraints
The natural topography, formed by the hills surrounding the city have acted as barriers for
uniform growth of the city. This constraint has been further compounded by the rail
network passing right across the city, resulting in a number of level crossings, which
cause traffic bottle necks.

Encroachment
In the absence of availability of land in the vicinity of the city, UIT, Ajmer developed
colonies by reclaiming northern part of Anasagar Lake thus paving way for further
development/encroachment upon the lake. Presently there are two brick kilns operating in
the reclaimed land in Anasagar Lake, besides residential colonies such as Vaishali Nagar.

Lack of implementation of Development Controls

Haphazard growth in the city clearly shows lack of implementation of development
controls. New multi-storey buildings are being constructed in the inner city area further
adding to the congestion of the inner city. In some of the commercial complexes built
recently no parking provisions have been made, resulting in on-street accumulation of
vehicles.

Congestion in the inner cityAs per the researcher the inner city is characterized by narrow lanes and 3-4 storey high
buildings with mixed land use. In most of the houses along the bazaars the ground floor is
converted into a shop while the floors above are retained for residential use. This has
resulted in overcrowding of the inner city and causing further stress on age old
infrastructure networks. Excessive commercialization in the old city attracts high volume

29

of vehicular traffic and in the absence of designated parking spaces; vehicles are parked
on the streets, which reduces the width of the narrow streets. Encroachments on the
streets by the shopkeepers are also a common phenomenon which compounds the traffic
congestion.

Lack of hierarchy of commercial spacesCommercial activity in the city is in the form of traditional bazaars. Both wholesale and
retail commercial activities co-exist within the city core. Recently some wholesale
activity has been shifted to Beawar Road and other wholesale markets and warehouses
have been proposed along Jaipur Road and Beawar Road as a measure to decongest the
core. Still large part of the wholesale trade continues
from the inner city.

30

Map:6 Land Use Map of Ajmer

(Courtesy Ajmer Dev. Authority)

31

Lack of recreation spaces

The land use map clearly shows acute shortage of recreation and sports facilities. The
existing land under recreation use is only 1% of the total area. Patel Maidan is the only
recreational space for public use. It has a cricket stadium and a swimming pool where
district level competitions are held. Located in the centre of the city near the bus stand, it
also serves as a place for public meetings and rallies. The local public and stakeholders
have discontentment in this aspect.

Ownership of Water bodies

As per the Revenue laws the lake is a khatirdari land, whereby the farmers are given the
rights to cultivate in the lake area in the absence of water, while the land submerged in
water is under the Municipal Council. Subsequently the land exchanged multiple
ownerships and it was transformed from cultivation to residential or other use, ultimately
resulting in encroachment of the lake.

Inadequate road network

In spite of large area under circulation (approximately 20 percent of the developed area),
the internal road network in the city is inadequate. Most of the roads in the city centre
pass through Railways property and are therefore not available for public use. Station
road is the only corridor for north-south movement of traffic. The details of road network
in the city are discussed in the next segment on Roads and Transport.

32

Researcher studying the Major Urban Problems of the City

Low density development

Most of the development outside the city core comprises of low density low rise buildings
leading to urban sprawl thus increasing the distribution network of the urban services.(As
per UIT Ajmer Reports)

33

Encroachment on environmentally fragile areas

Lack of access to planned spaces for the urban poor has resulted in encroachment on hill
slopes, especially on Taragah hill and water bodies. The encroachment on hills especially
along the course of natural drains leads to pollution and choking of the drains and often
leads to change in the course of the drain which affects the inflow into the lake.

Poor Quality of life in the Inner City area

City growth is a dynamic and continuous process. Due to rapid growth of industrialization
and consequent urbanization, towns face multifarious physio-socio-economic and
infrastructure problems. The usual process of city development begins from a core where
people congregate to give the characteristics of urban form to an area. This core can be a
market place or it could be a historic core, as in case of Ajmer. As the city grows, this
core transforms itself into an inner city. Such inner cities, in time to come, become
misfits, because of changing scales and functions and are unable to provide modern
standards of living befitting healthy urban development. While the city expands and
spreads to the suburbs adding to the intermediary and peripheral zones that are supported
by faster means of communication, the inner city becomes more and more congested
because of its centrality and has a tendency to slide back economically and physically
because of overuse and obsolescent economic activities.

During the colonial era while new colonies were planned, provision of facilities in the old
city however could not keep pace with physical growth and population growth. The
colonial urban fabric departed substantially in morphological structure, building
typologies and architectural character, from the native settlement around Dargah Sharif
which was distinct in community structure and morphology. The construction activity for
development of the Colonial part of the town, led to in-migration of work force which
settled in the native part of town. This resulted in increased functions like wholesale
markets, retail bazaars, warehousing and other services, which are continued to this date.

The inner city has undergone maximum misuse and transformation in the absence of
building regulations which has resulted in extreme congestion in the urban core,
dilapidated buildings, mixed land use, increasing residential and non residential densities,
lack of open spaces, buildings devoid of proper light and ventilation, defective circulation
system and traffic bottlenecks, sluggish drainage and poor sanitation, inadequate public
34

amenities and utility services thereby deteriorating the healthy living environment in the
core especially the area around the Dargah. The Inner city of Ajmer is in urgent need of
renewal and any delay in this regard would only aggravate the situation.( Reports AMC)

2.2 WATER SUPPLY

Adequacy assessment of water supply, in the earlier section indicates - inadequate service
levels for tourists and pilgrims; inadequate coverage in the newly developing areas; and
inability to ensure supply on continual basis. This present scenario is likely to deteriorate
further given the future growth of the City. Total water demand and net surplus or deficit
for the ULB is estimated for Base year (2006) and for the future (2021) on a standard
water consumption rate of 155 lpcd, and is tabulated below.

Table 8: Water Demand Ajmer Municipal Council

Year

Estimated

Water

Availability

Surplus/Deficit

EstimatedYear

Population in

Demand

(MLD)

(MLD)

Lakhs

(MLD)

2006

5.37

83

85

2011

5.93

92

85

2016

6.52

101

85

16

2021

7.18

111

85

26

Considering the current deficits and the future requirements for water supply, a set of
strategies and projects are suggested in the subsequent sections.

Sector Vision and Strategy

Sector Vision
To assure adequate and equitable Water Supply to the City daily for reasonable hours.
Development Objectives
The Sector Objectives are as listed below
i) To provide at least 4 hours of water supply daily at a rate of 155 lpcd;
ii) To achieve universal coverage, through Service Connections by 2008;
iii) To make arrangements for additional storage and provision of water supply for Urs
and Other major festivals;

35

iv) To achieving equitable spatial growth through planned provision of Supply in Newly
Developing Areas.
v) To encourage Water Conservation and Re-charge measures, through rain water
Harvesting
vi) Tariff on water supply should necessarily cover all operational and maintenance
charges, and should attempt to address debt servicing and capital investments.

Strategies
The recommended approach is to increase the supply levels in terms of coverage, to
achieve an average gross supply of 155 lpcd and to cater to 100 percent of the population.
Assuming that distribution network is extended to more than 95 percent of the Roads
within ULB area, given very high influx of floating population within the ULB, all the
residents and pilgrims will then be in a position to receive the required supply. Strategies
to address the current issues and future requirements, and are elaborated below.

(i) It is noticed that there are inadequate number of service reservoirs in the city. The
strategy is to augment the water storage capacity by constructing new OSHRs/ GLSRs at
various locations, for more equitable supply of water.
(ii) Capacity augmentation for supply of water to vishram sthali s, other tourist locations
and for festival occasions, through creation of dedicated infrastructure. It is targeted to
provide water supply during Urs, to the Ziyareen (Pilgrims) at various vishram sthali s,
through creation of a service reservoir and Public Stand-posts at these locations.
(iii) Improvement in water distribution system by controlling leakages, and installing bulk
domestic water meters, to achieve significant reduction in Unaccounted for Water
(UFW). To achieve sustainable levels of supply by scientific designing of water
distribution network using hydraulic models, establishing hydraulically independent
District Metering Areas (DMAs), and improving customer connections.
(iv) To carry out a detailed inspection or study of major transmission mains, to identify
options to replace or rehabilitate the affected stretch of pipe. Providing water supply to
newly developed/ developing areas and areas that are devoid of municipal water supply
network.
(v) Rehabilitation of the tanks and notifying as mandatory Rainwater Harvesting Scheme

36

(RHS) for every new development, in order to improve the ground water table. (vi) To
increase coverage through individual service connections, and rationalize water tariff to
meet Operations and Maintenance (O&M) expenses.
(vii) The total demand at source in Year 2021 is estimated at 111 MLD indicating a
deficit of approximately 26 MLD. Long Term Project for source augmentation (from
alternate source) has to be pursued, beyond 2011 to meet the deficit in 2021. This will
require financial assistance from government/ financial institutions. Although, there is no
information on Non-Revenue Water (NRW) in Ajmer, experiences in other cities of same
size-class have indicated approximately 50-60 percent NRW. The aim is to reduce NRW
upto 20-30%. For this it is recommended to adopt a Water Management Plan, conduct a
leak detection study and to carry out rehabilitation program of the water supply network
based on the outcome of the study. Other Strategic recommendations include,
(i) Operation and Management Plan - Adoption of an Operation and Management Plan
and Schedule for PHED, including options of using the private sector for O&M (e.g.
management contract).
(ii) Asset Management Plan - To regularly assess the condition of assets and their
performance, it is recommended that an asset management plan be formulated for water
supply assets
(iii) Tariff Revision Schedule It is apparent that additional capital investments on system
up-gradation are inevitable. Tariff structure should be reviewed, to rationalize burden of
the cost in proportion to consumption and / or ability to pay.
(iv) Performance Monitoring. To monitor certain key indicators to assess the performance
of the system and to ensure sustainability of operations.
(v) Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building To recruit trained engineering
personnel for management of waterworks and to keep them technically updated, through
periodic training.

2.3 ISSUES RELATED TO HOUSING

Housing stock available as per Census 2001 is 113,121 units, of which approximately 9
percent stock is vacant. The total houses under residential use are 81,396 units (including
only residence and residence cum other use), while the total number of households in
Ajmer as per 2001 Census are 82,249. This indicates a household per house ratio of 1.02.
Also, the average household size is as high as 5.90. Distribution of Houses of the total
housing stock, indicates that apart for the regular residential use, there is a high percent
37

(approximately 15 percent) of units being put to commercial use (shops and offices).
Other uses have a minor proportion. The vacancy rate in the City is approximately 9
percent of the total number of census houses.

2.4 ISSUES RELATED TO TRANSPORT (as per the researcher)

Constraints for traffic movement in the city
x

Inadequate Surfaced Roads. The City has approximately 195 kms of unsurfaced
Roads (43 percent of total road length), mainly along the Internal City Roads thus
x

resulting in delay, increase in travel time and increase in vehicle operating cost.
Absence of road hierarchy, non-uniform carriageway of the major traffic carrying
corridors, heterogeneous traffic constituting cars, two wheelers, auto rickshaws,
animal carriages are the main causes of congestion in the city. Rapid urbanization
and increase in vehicles have resulted in the city road networks exceeding their
carrying capacity, in turn resulting in to low operating speeds, road safety hazards
x

and environmental pollution.

Encroachments on streets by shop owners and vendors further reduce the width
and capacity of carriageway. Improper utilization of the available road network
x

and insufficient enforcement measures has further deteriorated the situation.

The key constraint for traffic movement along major arterial road network is the
absence of an alternative road network. Presently there is only one north-south
corridor, which carries almost the entire city traffic between Gandhi Bhawan and
x

Martindale Bridge.
The rail network running across the city acts as a major constraint on free flow of
traffic because it intersects the road network at a number of locations resulting in
regular traffic congestion during peak hours. Another prominent feature of the
circulation network in the city is the absence of pedestrian facilities in the city
x

even along major roads.

At places where footpaths are designed they are encroached upon shopkeepers and
road side vendors, forcing the pedestrian to use the road. This creates pedestrianvehicular conflict zones in almost all stretches of major arterial and sub-arterial
roads, and reduces the carrying capacity of roads.

38

Vehicular parking is a major issue in the city, especially as the city attracts very
high floating population. Vehicular traffic in the city has increased multifold in
the last few years, which has resulted in on-street parking along major roads,
particularly along Kutchery road, Prithviraj Chauhan road, Station Road, Kaiser
Ganj area etc. Most of these areas were developed during the colonial era and at
present have become highly congested with no space available for creating
parking facilities. This has resulted in loss of carriageway, which further slows
x

down traffic movement and leads to congestion.

Many of the new commercial complexes that have come up in the city do not have
adequate parking provision leading to spilling over of the vehicles onto the road.
Parking is a major issue in the Dargah area, which attracts large number of visitors
throughout the year. This problem is further aggravated during festive seasons
when Lakh of pilgrims / tourists visit the city. To exploit the situation, the local
residents in this area have converted the ground floor of their premises into paid
x

parking lots.
Absence of Public transport system in the city has resulted in unorganized
operations of Intermediate Public Transport vehicles. As the capacity of each of
the IPT unit is smaller, a larger number of vehicles are required to transport the
same number of persons. While detailed traffic studies and origin-destination
surveys need to be conducted, it can be said with fair degree of certainity that the
x

city needs a higher capacity transport system.

Unrestricted licensing for IPT vehicles, coupled with poor regulation and
enforcement of licensing terms (routes, frequency, etc.) has also contributed to
this problem. Absence of passenger amenities and organized terminal
facilities/designated stops is some of the major constraints for IPT operations. The
mini-buses and tempos are often found parked / taking halts along the arterial
x

roads disrupting the traffic flow.

Road Junctions are ill-designed with absence of proper road geometrics and
footpaths, thus leading to traffic congestion. Ineffective traffic control and
management measure Most of the roads in the city are used for haphazard onstreet parking. Besides, lack of awareness among road users has further
aggravated the problem.

39

2.5 ISSUES REALTED TO TOURIST DEPARTMENT

Constraints for Tourism management
Two major deterrents for heritage conservation, are,

(i) Absence of institutionalized financing arrangements for heritage conservation conservation traditionally has not been a national priority, as it gets little or no funding in
annual budgets. Hence, funding is available on ad-hoc and intermittent basis; and

(ii) The Rent Control Act has been another deterrent factor restraining the owners from
maintaining their old houses in the traditional precincts i.e. the Galees and Mohallas,
since it does not provide any incentives for preservation of old houses. As a result, the
piecemeal works of restoration carried out in the old structures have further deteriorated
the aesthetic value of the heritage buildings.

(iii) In the city s Master Plan, the inner city or the core areas and their historicity are not
considered as part of the development process and no finances are earmarked for their
preservation Department of Culture provides 14 schemes of financial assistance to
promote and sustain cultural activities, by provide monetary help to individuals, groups
and voluntary organizations, although none provide direct support to conservation of built
heritage.
(iv)The profile of tourists visiting Ajmer presents significant challenges. A large number
of poor tourists visiting the city during a short period (about 2 weeks during the Urs),
depend significantly on civic agencies to provide for their needs and have poor paying
capacity. On one hand the city needs to accommodate the needs of this segment, while on
the other the city needs to attract more number of high paying tourists to provide an
impetus to its local economy and thereby indirectly improve the revenue base of its civic
agencies. (Rajsthan Patrika Publications July 2010.)
(v)In spite of presence of historic monuments from different eras, the city has failed to
leverage its historical past to attract tourists. There is clearly a lack of promoting heritage
tourism in Ajmer. Because of paucity of funds a number of monuments lie in derelict
condition, e.g. Adhai din ka Jhonpara, Taragarh Fort. There is inadequate information
about the historical sights the city has to offer. Classic example is of Akbar s fort which
lies behind the Municipal Council Office, which is hardly visited by tourists.

40

(vi)The poor approach to the historical sights is also a deterrent in attracting tourists. The
approach road to Taragarh is a bridled path with steep slope. Parking facilities near
monuments are in poor condition and / or adequately provided for. The number of foreign
tourists has declined significantly. This can be partly attributed to the fact that the
package of tourism experience in Ajmer has not improved significantly in the past few
years, while other cities in Rajasthan have done very well in doing so. The various
destination of religious importance in Ajmer have not been tied together with other such
destinations. For example, a significant number of tourists visit Pushkar and bypass
Ajmer on their itinerary. The facilities provided to the pilgrims at vishram sthali s are
highly inadequate. The structures built many years ago have deteriorated due to poor
maintenance.
(vii)Traffic and transportation facilities near the Dargah are insufficient and extremely
chaotic. The narrow approach roads to the Dargah are incapable of handling Lakh of
pilgrims, often causing risk of stampedes.

2.6 Encroachment problems in the city

Growth constraints - The natural topography, formed by the hills surrounding the city
have acted as barriers for uniform growth of the city. This constraint has been further
compounded by the rail network passing right across the city, resulting in a number of
level crossings, which cause traffic bottle necks.

Encroachment - In the absence of availability of land in the vicinity of the city, UIT,
Ajmer developed colonies by reclaiming northern part of Ana agar Lake thus paving way
for further development/encroachment upon the lake. Presently there are two brick kilns

41

operating in the reclaimed land in Ana agar Lake, besides residential colonies such as
Vaishali Nagar.

Lack of implementation of Development Controls - Haphazard growth in the city

clearly shows lack of implementation of development controls. New multi-storey
buildings are being constructed in the inner city area further adding to the congestion of
the inner city. In some of the commercial complexes built recently no parking provisions
have been made, resulting in on-street accumulation of vehicles.
Congestion in the inner city
The inner city is characterized by narrow lanes and 3-4 storey high buildings with mixed
land use. In most of the houses along the bazaars the ground floor is converted into a shop
while the floors above are retained for residential use. This has resulted in overcrowding
of the inner city and causing further stress on age old infrastructure networks. Excessive
commercialization in the old city attracts high volume of vehicular traffic and in the
absence of designated parking spaces; vehicles are parked on the streets, which reduces
the width of the narrow streets. Encroachments on the streets by the shopkeepers are also
a common phenomenon which compounds the traffic congestion.

42

Lack of hierarchy of commercial spaces Commercial activity in the city is in the form
of traditional bazaars. Both wholesale and retail commercial activities co-exist within the
city core. Recently some wholesale activity has been shifted to Beawar Road and other
wholesale markets and warehouses have been proposed along Jaipur Road and Beawar
Road as a measure to decongest the core. Still large part of the wholesale trade continues
room the inner city.
Lack of recreation spaces - The land use map clearly shows acute shortage of recreation
and sports facilities. The existing land under recreation use is only 1% of the total area.
Patel Maidan is the only recreational space for public use. It has a cricket stadium and a
swimming pool where district level competitions are held. Located in the centre of the
city near the bus stand, it also serves as a place for public meetings and rallies.
Ownership of Water bodies - As per the Revenue laws the lake is a khatirdari land,
whereby the farmers are given the rights to cultivate in the lake area in the absence of
water, while the land submerged in water is under the Municipal Council. Subsequently
the land exchanged multiple ownerships and it was transformed from cultivation to
residential or other use, ultimately resulting in encroachment of the lake.
Inadequate road network - In spite of large area under circulation (approximately 20
percent of the developed area), the internal road network in the city is inadequate. Most of
the roads in the city centre pass through Railways property and are therefore not available
for public use. Station road is the only corridor for north-south movement of traffic. The
details of road network in the city are discussed in the next segment on Roads and
Transport.
Low density development - Most of the development outside the city core comprises of
low density low rise buildings leading to urban sprawl thus increasing the distribution
network of the urban services.
Encroachment on environmentally fragile areas - Lack of access to planned spaces for
the urban poor has resulted in encroachment on hill slopes, especially on Taragah hill and
water bodies. The encroachment on hills especially along the course of natural drains
leads to pollution and choking of the drains and often leads to change in the course of the
drain which affects the inflow into the lake.
Poor Quality of life in the Inner City area - City growth is a dynamic and continuous
process. Due to rapid growth of industrialization and consequent urbanization, towns face
multifarious physio-socio-economic and infrastructure problems. The usual process of
city development begins from a core where people congregate to give the characteristics
43

of urban form to an area. This core can be a market place or it could be a historic core, as
in case of Ajmer. As the city grows, this core transforms itself into an inner city. Such
inner cities, in time to come, become misfits, because of changing scales and functions
and are unable to provide modern standards of living befitting healthy urban
development. While the city expands and spreads to the suburbs adding to the
intermediary and peripheral zones that are supported by faster means of communication,
the inner city becomes more and more congested because of its centrality and has a
tendency to slide back economically and physically because of overuse and obsolescent
economic activities. During the colonial era while new colonies were planned, provision
of facilities in the old city however could not keep pace with physical growth and
population growth. The colonial urban fabric departed substantially in morphological
structure, building typologies and architectural character, from the native settlement
around Dargah Sharif which was distinct in community structure and morphology. The
construction activity for development of the Colonial part of the town, led to in-migration
of work force which settled in the native part of town. This resulted in increased functions
like wholesale markets, retail bazaars, warehousing and other services, which are
continued to this date. The inner city has undergone maximum misuse and transformation
in the absence of building regulations which has resulted in extreme congestion in the
urban core, dilapidated buildings, mixed land use, increasing residential and non
residential densities, lack of open spaces, buildings devoid o f p r o p e r

light and

ventilation, defective circulation system and traffic bottlenecks, sluggish drainage and
poor sanitation, inadequate public amenities and utility services thereby deteriorating the
healthy living environment in the core especially the area around the Dargah. The Inner
city of Ajmer is in urgent need of renewal and any delay in this regard would only
aggravate the situation.

44

CHAPTER III
ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF URBAN PLANNING
3.1 THE MISSION IN AJMER
I. Ajmer An Urban Perspective
Ajmer city is a part of the Ajmer Cosmopolitan Area. The administrative body in the city
is the UIT and Ajmer Municipal Corporation (AMC). The AMC is both a service
provider and a facilitator and administers a municipal area of about 25 sq. km and a
population of approximately 12 lac7.

Ajmer is the 2nd largest city in Rajasthan and one of the inportant holy city in India. The
citys journey to its current status has been long. Once a place of retreat, the city has
several titles to its credit Heartland of Rajasthan, CRPF & military centre (Nasirabad),
Cultural & Religious Capital, Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education, Revenue Board,
Rajasthan Public Service Commission, Mayo College, Government College Ajmer,
Dayanand College are importantly located in Ajmer. The latest being the "Global
Education Hub". Ajmer has expanded physically, demographically and economically.

The main thrust of Ajmers economy is its Railways (manufacturing, automotive, Mining,
Marble and agro based industries). Amidst the mushrooming of Handicrafts, cultural
organisations and festivals keep the city culturally alive. The remnant wadas remind few
of its rich Rajputs, Moughals, Britishers heritages. Ajmer has experienced a demographic
explosion. Migration from virtually every corner of the country has significantly played
its part. This popular mlange has no doubt a cosmopolitan flavour, but has given Ajmer
its vibrancy.

However, behind its bold new face, Ajmer, like other big cities of India, is experiencing
the setbacks of urbanisation. Acute shortage of water reserviors, poor urban service
standards, proliferating slums and shantytowns underline another reality of Ajmers
transformation. Growing dissatisfaction of the people and deteriorating service delivery
mechanisms is a sign of Ajmers struggling urban lifestyle. JNNURM has come as a big
opportunity to enhance the citys infrastructure image, quality of service and standard
of living.

45

3.2 Ajmer City Development Plan An Appraisal

The City Development Plan (CDP) is a mandatory requirement of any city to access the
JNNURM assistance. Ajmers CDP is a comprehensive document identifying the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the city and strategies to achieve the
vision for the city through a list of projects and corresponding estimates of financial
requirements. A three phase approach was adopted in this process: defining vision
Strategies for the management of Urban Development
x

Review and Updation of the Master Plan -It is recommended to periodically

review and update the Master Plan to capture the urban dynamic, growth and
sprawl areas, at every 10 years interval. As a part of the update, it is recommended
to promote economic and commercial activity, and infrastructure in newly
developing areas, as a means to attract development and to achieve equitable
x

population distribution.
Leverage Town Planning Schemes, as tool for equitable allocation of land use -It
is also recommended to use Zonal Plans or Town Planning Schemes, as tool for
planned development, and sustainable allocation of land use. It is recommended to
promote micro-level planning; to improve quality of life through planned
x

provision of services like roads, water supply and sewerage.

Special Development Control guidelines for Inner City Area and Dargah Area Although, the city has general building by-laws, it does not provide for specific
guidelines to control development in the Inner City and Dargah Area. It is
recommended to formulate Special Development Control Guidelines, with
emphasis discourage/restrict development in and around Dargah Area, to
discontinue non-confirming landuse activities, promotion of mixed landuse, urban
design guidelines and faade control for major streets, height restriction, disaster
management, etc. It is recommended to empower the Local Body with regulatory
x

and legal tools to implement the Guideline.

Public Participation and Consultation at Neighbourhood level -Period Campaign
for Community awareness and Participation through programs, shows and
activities recommended, like movie display, street plays, meeting and exhibitions.
It is recommended to involve the all stakeholder and organize community meeting
during process of preparation of Renewal Plan for the Inner City, to create social
benefits, avoid disputes and non-confirming land use.

46

(viii) Creation of New Housing Stock -Apart from Urban Improvement Trust and
Rajasthan Housing Board, the two agencies traditionally involved for planning various
schemes and providing houses/plots for development, it is recommended to involve
private developers to meet the housing demand through leveraging land at subsidized
rates. It is recommended to identify and plan for provision of stock, so as to achieve
equitable urban growth.
x

Promotion of ambient environment through afforestation, conservation and

improvement measures for lake and hills -It is recommended to encourage Plantation in
the catchment area, to arrest denudation of hills and community lands, and discourage
improper agronomic practice, mainly along drain beds. To improve collection of run-

Public Participation towards City Cleanliness

off water and allow discharge into lakes, it is recommended to remove encroachments
along channels, and provide for de-silting and widening measures. It is recommended to
check flow of Silt and Sullage into the lake, through provision of check dams in the
hills, along drains and provision of covered drains in congested areas. To improve the
quality of water, it is recommended to provide for interception and diversion of sewage
flowing into the lake.

47

(x)

Inner City Area Development Plan -It is recommended to prepare special zonal

plans and schemes, for addressing the renewal of Inner City area, and be made a part
of the Master Plan effort. It is recommended to formulate special guidelines and
development controls, to sustain environmental quality of the Area. Public Awareness
schemes and community meeting need to be promoted, to educated the communities of
social benefits and avoid dispute. Community education with public participation is
recommended for keeping neighbourhood .
3.3 Housing Demand Estimation
The housing profile of the city reflects a shortage in the housing supply. The housing
demand at the rate of 5.9 persons in a household is estimated at 91,410 units, for 2006 while
the present stock is only 81,396 units of which 1,323 houses are in a dilapidated state.
Hence it can be states that there are 80,073 liveable pucca houses in Ajmer for a population
of 485,575 persons. Therefore the clear gap emerging from this is of 11,337 units -for year
2006.

What is to be achieved?
JNNURM is a period-specific (seven years) mission. The CDP provides a strategy to
achieve objectives in the mission period to ultimately attain the long-term vision of the
city.
Undertaking and executing identified projects to upgrade urban infrastructure and
services to urban poor.
Encouraging public-private investments to create quality state-of-art infrastructure.
Increasing the investment capacity and sustenance of ADA through JNNURM
assistance along with associated reforms like revenue improvement and expenditure
control measures.
Sustained economic growth, increase in income levels and improved economic and
social conditions for the urban poor.
Service provision like housing on the basis of equity.
Leveraging sectoral capabilities for development and facilitating creation of an
information infrastructure service.
Maintaining the financial soundness of ADA.
AUIT converted in ADA.

48

JNNURM will accelerate Ajmers development efforts to achieve its long term vision:
Ajmer as a liveable and sustainable city.
Ideal example of urban governance.
Infrastructure and services of international calibre.
Strong position in the countrys economic growth.
A knowledge and technology hub by creating strong linkages between Ajmers
industry and institutions.

The CDP indicates that the annual growth rate of Ajmer citys population is 3.64 percent
and decennial growth rate during 1991-2001 is 50.08 percent. 50 percent of this growth is
due to migration. Such a high growth rate of population is bound to overburden the urban
infrastructure and services like housing and transport. Besides these, the CDP also
reviews the municipal finances. The AMC revenue collection covers
much of its capital expenditure.

These objectives need a holistic approach. Apart from JNNURM and other financial
assistance, the approach should involve greater AMC-people-institution co-operation and
Private-Public Partnerships (PPPs). AMC should bring about better public finance and
resource management; modern, efficient and transparent governance and service delivery
mechanisms and be more responsive to the citizens. Urban planning should be sensitive to
the city needs. For this, the AMC should have updated information and
constantly monitor the projects.

With the approval of the City Development Plan (CDP) for Ajmer, a Memorandum of
Agreement (MoA) was signed. The MoA is a tripartite agreement between three parties:
Government of India through the Ministry of Urban Development (Part I), Government of
Rajasthan (Part II) and the Ajmer UIT (Part III) where in the Government of India
through the Ministry of Urban Development will release funds under JNNURM for
projects to be undertaken by the Ajmer Municipal Corporation against its commitment
(along with the commitment of the Government of Rajasthan) to implement the reform
agenda.

49

Strategies for Development

a. Projects:
The projects have been identified in order to ensure optimal and efficient utilisation
of existing infrastructure system.
b. Reform Agenda
The CDP provides the status of reforms12 and a timeline for their implementation.
AMCs reform status (as of April 2008xiii):
1. Municipal Accounting
57 percent of the accounting reform agenda (for the year 2007-2008) has been achieved.
Deadline for full migration to double- entry accounting system has been extended from
2007-2008 to 2009.
2. E- Governance
All identified services have been covered under the e-governance application.
3. Property Tax Reform
In April 2008, AMCs property tax collection increased by 59.10 percent from that of
April 2007xiv. However, no deadline has been set for identifying the unassessed
properties and placing them along with the assessed properties in the GIS setup.
4. User Charges (UC)
Cost recovery on user charges for water supply and sewerage is 100 percent. UC reforms
regarding solid waste management and public transport are to be achieved all through the
mission period.
5. Internal Earmarking of funds for Urban Poor
A separate fund in the accounting system has been created for the urban poor. The
earmarking agenda over the mission period has not been defined.
6. Basic Services for Urban Poor
The CDP indicates that basic services are already provided to urban poor in both declared
and undeclared slums. Survey of poor households has been completed. Housing strategy
for poor has not been defined.
7. Optional Reforms
The bye-laws regarding recycled water, streamlining of approval process and rainwater
harvesting have been revised. PPP initiatives have been undertaken.

50

3.4 City Investment Plan (CIP)

The City Investment Plan, an integral part of the CDP, identifies investment requirements
for the projects to be undertaken. Considering the short, medium and long term
infrastructure needs of Ajmer, the CIP identifies investment requirements up to the years
2011-12 and 2031. The total investment need identified till the year 2031 is
approximately Rs 6643 crore. 91% (approximately Rs 6072 crore) of this total investment
need is proposed till 2011-12. With cost escalation due to rise in physical contingencies,
utilities and enhanced specifications over the mission period, the total investment need
goes up to Rs 7550.84 crore. Ajmers critical road infrastructure and transport conditions
come to light with 35 percent of the total investments proposed in this sector. Urban poor
and slum improvement have been prioritised with 13 percent of total investments to be
allotted to it. Projects related to land use; slum improvement and others are to be achieved
till 2011-12 while projects in rest of the sectors can be planned till 2031.

Table 8: Summary of Capital investment

Sector

Total
Investmen
t Need (up
to 2031)

Investment till 2011-12

Base Cost
Escalate
d Cost*

488.5083

294.6322

395.28

5%

%
Investment
till 201112 against
Total=
60%

Sewerage and 803.8942

Sanitation
Roads, Traffic 2248.3310
& Transport
Drains
715.1359

669.3250

845.2665

11%

83%

2128.6810

2558.3985

35%

95%

631.5172

822.6584

10%

88%

Street Lights

13.5108

10.8390

14.3390

0.2%

80%

Solid Waste
Management
Urban Poor/
Slums
Land use/ Dev.
Planning
Others+

98.7797

61.7813

86.5455

1%

63%

789.30

789.30

940.1508

13%

100%

195.65

195.65

238.1188

3%

100%

1290.20

1290.20

1650.0789

21%

100%

Total

6643.3099

6071.9257

7550.8440

100%%

91%

Water Supply

% Sector
wise of
Total

51

JNNURM project funding pattern for Ajmer is 80 percent from the Government of India,
10 percent from the Government of Rajasthan and the Ajmer Municipal Corporation is to
raise 30 percent funding of projects from its own sources or loans. Accordingly, the
funding worked under the CIP is as follows:

Table 9 : PROJECT FUNDING UNDER CIP (Rs crore)

Sr.
no

Type of Funding

Identified Investment till 201112

Grants
Government of India Grants
Government of Rajasthan
Grants
Loan

Own sources

Source

AmountCurrent
Prices
7550.84

% of Total
Investment

JNNURM
JNNURM
JNNURM

4213.60*
3009.72
1203.16

56%
40%
16%

Open markets/
FIs
AMC

132.08

2%

3205.16

42%

100%

*Of the total investment of Rs 7550.84 crore (current prices), only Rs 6257.55 crore has
been proposedunder JNNURM. Thus, the figure of Rs 4213.60 crore represents 56
percent of total identified investments.

The Memorandum of Agreement states that 25 percent of the central grant on the total
project cost will be released on the signing of the agreement and the rest shall be provided
in instalments as per the progress of the project and reforms by the AMC and the
Government of Rajasthan.

Municipal finances reveal that AMCs main revenue earnings are through octroi and
property tax. JNNURM assistance is not a response to the financial requirements of the
citys proposed development projects. These along with the reforms are a means to
leverage the investment capacity of the municipal corporation to bring about greater
financial sustainability. Funding through the open market mechanism allows private
sector players to fund the investment requirements. As of April 2008, projects worth Rs
1495 crore have been sanctioned for Ajmer city. This includes a total of ten projects

52

covered by the JNNURM funds. These projects are broken down into several sub-projects
covering road network, subways, bus rapid transit system, cycle and pedestrian tracks,
parking facilities, storm water drains, water supply, solid waste management, sewage
treatment plants (STPs), river and lake improvement, slum improvement and slum
rehabilitation under its scope. The Government of India (GoI) and Government of
Rajasthan (GoR)s share in the total sanctioned cost comes to Rs 1047 crore and that of
the AMC to Rs 448 crore. With cost escalation estimates, the AMC figure rises up to Rs
750 crore.

53

CHAPTER IV
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU NATIONAL URBAN RENEWAL MISSION
AND ITS EXECUTION
4.1 Introduction to JNNURM
JNNURM is a mammoth mission to promote urban development in the Indian cities.
JNNURM aims at creating economically productive, efficient, equitable and responsive
cities through a three pronged strategy of social and economic infrastructure up gradation
in cities, provision of basic services to urban poor and wide-ranging urban sector reforms
to strengthen municipal governance in accordance with the 74 th Constitutional
Amendment Act, 1992.

Ajmer and Pushkar is one of the cities identified for funding development projects under
JNNURM. As one of Indias fastest growing cities, Ajmer has far transformed from a
conventional city and an old age retreat. The city proudly boasts of a strong economy
fuelled by its industries, tourist keeping intact the social, cultural and educational
strongholds. With the flamboyance of a mega city yet not the boastfulness of a city like
Jaipur or Jodhpur, Ajmer has her own character; her own charm; her own share of
problems.

Statistical records reveal that Ajmer is an extremely fast gro wing city, both,
demographically and economically. The civic infrastructure growth and service standards
however fall short of the actual requirements. The JNNURM has come as big opportunity
to enhance the citys infrastructure image, quality of service and standard of living.

4.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH

This paper aims to study the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission
(JNNURM) and its execution at the level of Ajmer and Pushkar City. The objectives with
regard to JNNURM are:

To understand what is JNNURM

To study the salient features of JNNURM

This study will be mirrored with the execution of the mission in Ajmer. The objectives
with regard to JNNURM at the Ajmer and Pushkar city level are:

54

To observe how the mission is being implemented in Ajmer

To study whether the mission covers the most important requirements of Ajmer

To examine whether the projects undertaken by the municipal authority are in

sync with the plans for solving the problems of the city

To note the achievements and failures under the mission

To analyse the implications of the initiative in the city

The Ajmer Municipal Corporation and UIT are the urban local body of Ajmer. The City
Development Plan (CDP) gives the vision for development in Ajmer and has prepared a
total outlay of Rs. 4250 crore for its achievement. Ajmer gets 100% of its project funding
from the central and state governments under JNNURM. At present, ten projects are
being covered by JNNURM funds covering road network, bus rapid transit system, water
supply, solid waste management, sewage treatment, lake improvement, slum
improvement and rehabilitation under its scope. An assessment after two and a half years
of the mission, unfortunately, has much to talk about failures than success (incomplete
projects, inadequate planning, growing inconvenience and dissatisfaction to the citizens).
But with a high potential for development and vigilant citizens, there is ample room for
improvement.

4.3 Ajmer Municipal Council

Ajmer Municipal Council is governed by The Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 1959 and
amendments thereto. Although this Act covers various aspects of municipal governance,
it was felt that the comprehensive letter and spirit of the 74th CAA was not captured in its
entirety.

Human Resource Management

ADA currently employs 1426 persons, which, on average, works out to approximately
285 employees per Lakh of population. Ajmer Municipal Council has 1839 sanctioned
posts, out of which 1426 are, filled (77.5% of the Sanctioned Posts). A significant
proportion of the total municipal staff strength (about 97%) consists of cleaning staff,
clerical staff and other nontechnical staff. Due to this the Municipal Council currently
lacks significant technical capability and is not able to take on/ manage large capital
works. Computer literacy among the Municipal Staff is very low; the computerisation of
the functions is managed by private operators.
55

4.4 Urban Improvement Trust, Ajmer

Figure 7 : Showing structure of UIT

Urban Improvement Trust, Ajmer is managed by a Board of trustees, consisting of a

Chairman and other members, including Superintendent Engineer, PWD, Superintendent
Engineer PHED, Superintendent Engineer AVVNL, and Senior Town Planner, Ajmer.
The Chairman is the executive head of the UIT, and enjoys all the powers under the Act.
The Secretary, UIT is the administrative head of the UIT. A public representative on the
trust is under the process of appointment. The following figure shows the organisational
structure of the UIT.

Human Resource Management

Currently, key technical and administrative persons in UIT are on deputation from
different government departments. The officers on deputation include the Secretary,
Officers on Special Duty (land), deputy secretary, chief legal assistant, deputy town
planner, and Assistant Accounts officer.

56

4.5 PHED Ajmer

The PHED is responsible for provision of safe drinking water supply to city and
maintaining the sewerage network. This includes securing water sources, treatment of

Information with regard to infrastructure improvements, projects, revenue are maintained

at the relevant Division Office and is generally not promptly transferred to the Central
Department or Head Office. This creates a significant information gap. The PHED still
uses traditional maps and drawings for improvements and projects and does not use GIS
and MIS for overall management of Water Supply and sewerage network in the city.

Figure 8: Showing Structure of PHED

57

Figure 9: Showing Financial structure of PHED

Ajmer Municipal Council

The Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 1959 provides for the levy of obligatory and other
taxes by the ULBs. The Rajasthan Municipal Bill, 2005 also provides for the levy of
obligatory and discretionary taxes by the ULB. The Following table shows the
comparison of various taxes permitted under the Act and Various taxes currently being
imposed by the ADA. The Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 1959 provides for the levy of
obligatory and other taxes by the ULBs. The Rajasthan Municipal Bill, 2005 also
provides for the levy of obligatory and discretionary taxes by the ULB. The Following
table shows the comparison of various taxes permitted under the Act and Various taxes
currently being imposed by the ADA.

Structure of Municipal Finances

Municipal Finances consist of various items of Receipts and Payments, both Revenue and
Capital in nature. The following figure gives an overview of the different sources of
receipts and payments for the Ajmer Municipal Council.

58

CHAPTER V
PROJECTS/REFORMS:THEIR EXECUTION AND ASSESSMENT
5.1 Urbanisation, Urban Planning and the CDP
Introduction
This City Development Plan (CDP) has been prepared for the cities of Ajmer and
Pushkar, as part of the initiative of the Government of Rajasthan to access funds from the
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). It is widely
acknowledged that the 21st Century will emerge as the era of urbanisation, with rapid
global economic integration driving forward growth, prosperity and social well-being in
cities across the world. Cities will emerge as important nodes in a network of flowing
investments, information, goods and people, as well as centres of culture, innovation and
knowledge management.

The emergence of the urban space as a vanguard of evolution and progress in

socioeconomic development has largely been an organic process. The urban space is
typified through a complex and multi-dimensional interactions between various
characteristics, including:
x

Social and demographic character size, composition and socio-economic makeup of the urban residents.
x

Historical character the temporal changes experienced by the city.

x

Geographical character largely driven by location, topography and climatic

environment.
x

Economic character economic activities that enables sustenance and growth.

x

Cultural character the artistic, intellectual and literary milieu.

x

Physical character the physical spaces, infrastructure and built environment.

x

Institutional character the urban governance mechanism.

There are 3 categories of cities selected for financial support under the JNNURM. Each
category has a specific financing pattern with variable grant funding from the
Government of India and the respective State Government.

59

The categories are as follows:

1. Cities/Urban Agglomerations with 4 million plus population as per 2010 census
2. Cities/Urban Agglomerations with 1 million plus but less that 4 million population as
per 2001 census
3. Selected Cities/Urban Agglomerations (these are state capitals and other cities and
urban agglomerations of religious, historic and tourist importance). On completion of the
Mission period, it is expected that urban local bodies and parastatal agencies will have
achieved the following:
x

Modern and transparent budgeting, accounting, financial management systems,

x

designed and adopted for all urban service and governance functions
x

City-wide framework for planning and governance will be established and become
operational
x

All urban residents will be able to obtain access to a basic level of urban services
x

Financially self-sustaining agencies for urban governance and service delivery

will be
x

established, through reforms to major revenue instruments

x

Local services and governance will be conducted in a manner that is transparent

and
x

accountable to citizens
x

E-governance applications will be introduced in core functions of urban local

bodies/ para -statal resulting in reduced cost and time of service delivery processes. In
Rajasthan, the city of Jaipur and the cities of Ajmer-Pushkar (jointly) have been selected
as eligible cities which can seek assistance under the JNNURM. The nodal agency for the
JNNURM in Rajasthan is the Rajasthan Urban Infrastructure Finance and Development
Corporation Limited (RUIFDCO). The Project Development Corporation of Rajasthan
(PDCOR) has been mandated with the task of preparing CDPs for the mission towns.

City Development Plans

The City Development Plan is an essential element of a State Government s overall
application for funds under the JNNURM. CDPs provide cities the opportunity to achieve
convergence of opinions and ideas across various infrastructure, service delivery and
institutional reforms agendas. Prepared through a participatory process with various urban
stakeholder groups, the CDP will set a vision for the future development of the city, a set

60

of objectives and goals which the city aims to achieve and identifies thrust areas in
various sectors which need to be addressed on a priority basis in order to achieve the
objectives and the vision. It thus provides the overall framework within which projects
will be identified and put forward in a Capital Investment Plan. Seen in this light, the City
Development Plan differs from a traditional Master Plan which focuses on development
trends based on land use and related controls.

5.2 Features of a City Development Plan

A City Development Plan has the following features:
x

Prepared for a 5-10 year horizon, such plans are based on past trends, existing
strengths and limitations;
x

The planning horizon is set to be foreseeable and achievable;

x

The plans seek to integrate infrastructure requirements and environmental

concerns together with land-use patterns and regulation of the same;
x

The plans derive the vision, objectives and targets from socio-economic needs and
x

quality of life needs as articulated by their citizens, their representatives and other
x

stakeholders from civil society;

x

Poverty alleviation and needs of urban poor are important elements of such a plan
x

with commensurate allocation of resources;

The plans focus on resources available, seek to balance needs and priorities with
x

available resources;
Multiple stakeholder agencies are involved in such planning to ensure a shared
x

and commonly owned vision, development objective and plan of action;

Private sector involvement in preparation of such plans, financing and
x

implementation is ingrained;
Institutional reforms and capacity enhancement measures of urban local bodies
x

and / or other civic agencies are integral to such plans; and

The CDP process limits itself to identification of priority projects and priority
sectors for citywide provision of services.

61

5.4 Rationale for Selection of Ajmer and Pushkar as a Single Urban

Agglomeration
Although the cities of Ajmer and Pushkar have historically, politically and geographically
separate identities, with each city being founded on and thriving on their unique
characteristics, there are a number of commonalities which can be seen to have driven the
choice of Ajmer and Pushkar as a single urban agglomeration under the JNNURM. In
brief, these are as follows:
Geographical Proximity
both cities are located in Ajmer District separated by a distance of around 12 km. This
close geographical proximity has implications on developing common transport linkages
as well as movement of sections of the population between the cities and common
economic activities.
Geophysical Similarities
both cities are located in a semi-arid region of the state bounded by hills in the Aravalli
range, with the visible presence of ecological pressures on water bodies and green cover.
Historical and Religious Antecedents
both cities are old by any chronological standard and have a rich historical past. Ajmer
was founded in the early 7th Century by Ajaipal Chauhan and has witnessed a succession
of rulers (including the Mughals and the Marathas), with the British finally taking over
the city in 1818. The importance of Ajmer as a religious centre came about with presence
of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, who spent his last years in the city. The genesis of
Pushkar is interwoven with Hindu mythology and it forms one of the five places of
pilgrimage held in high esteem by Hindus. A visible imprint of this rich historical and
religious significance of both cities is the presence of a large number of historical
monuments and places of religious importance and the large number of tourists visiting
both cities.

Therefore, although for the purposes of the Mission, the cities are being treated as a single
urban agglomeration , this City Development Plan has been prepared keeping the
requirements of each city in mind, identifying common initiatives wherever it has been
deemed feasible. This will serve as a platform for taking up common initiatives through
Public-Private-Partnerships or private sector initiatives, as creating separate and multiple
agencies to manage trans-municipal issues will not be feasible.

62

The ethos around which a City Development Plan is put together is the notion of
participatory planning. The planning process needs to be a consultative one, with
stakeholders representing a wide spectrum of interests taking part in the discussions and
dialogue leading to the formulation of a vision and development objectives, identification
of priority sectors and projects. Keeping this in mind, the following process, highlighted
in Figure 2, has been followed in preparing the City Development Plan.

Assessment of Infrastructure, Land Use and Environment: This consisted of

discussions and consultations with key officials from various government departments,
Ajmer Improvement Trust, the municipal bodies in Ajmer and Pushkar, citizens societies,
civil society organisations3 to understand the current situation, identify key issues and
critical infrastructure gaps and bottlenecks as well get their suggestions for improvement
from the various stakeholders.

Assessment of Socio-Economic Issues: Assessment comprised primarily of field visits to

identified slums in both Ajmer and Pushkar to obtain feedback on socioeconomic issues
as well as infrastructure gaps. In addition, discussions were held with various economic
stakeholders such as entrepreneurs, NGOs and representatives of various occupational
categories.

Assessment of Institutional Capacity: Assessment comprised of discussions with

municipal officials in Ajmer and Pushkar as well as officials of Ajmer Improvement
Trust, examining institutional and financial issues and identification of key constraints,
and points of citizen interface. Discussions were also held on the potential for revenue
mobilisation and leveraging the municipal asset base.

State of City and consensus on priority issues: A full day Stakeholder Workshop was
held on 21st February 2006 at both Pushkar and Ajmer to present the findings of the rapid
assessment and also to obtain feedback from the stakeholders, through group discussions,
on the priority issues affecting the growth and development of the respective cities.
Elements of the vision for each of the cities were also discussed in the workshop. An
Inception Report was submitted to PDCOR outlining the overall approach to be adopted
for preparing the CDP along with detailed data collection formats for the rapid
assessment exercise.
63

Demand Analysis for Infrastructure and Basic Services : A demand analysis for
infrastructure and service delivery requirements was carried out to ensure that the
proposed initiatives and action plans as outlined in the CDP not only fills the critical gaps
and bottlenecks but also caters to future demand given the growth in population and the
urban sprawl.
Supply Analysis: The focus was on assessing whether the financial and human resources
capacities of the various urban agencies mandated to create and manage the urban
infrastructure that is proposed to be developed and achieve the levels of service delivery
following the implementation of the CDP is adequate or not. This was based on the
analysis undertaken during the rapid analysis of the Institutional Capacity of the local
agencies. Alternate institutional mechanisms for infrastructure creating and service
delivery were also explored. Based on the demand analysis carried out, the issues
identified earlier, as well as from the list of projects suggested by various stakeholder
groups, specific projects were identified.
Institutional Strengthening Plan: Incorporated in the CDP, the plan for strengthening
the municipal bodies in Ajmer and Pushkar as well as the Ajmer Improvement Trust
includes measures to improve their organisational performance through capacity building,
introduction of e-Governance and GIS, communication and citizen participation
programmes and modernising office infrastructure. The plan also projects municipal
finances, options for improvement in finances through resource mobilisation, and better
asset management through public-private partnerships.
Subsequent to the approval of CDP by the government, the ULB and the concerned Line
Agencies are expected to take the plan process forward through stepwise process of
project preparation, for projects identified under the CDP and ready the projects for
implementation. In consonance with the JnNURM toolkit, project preparation should also
include In-depth demand assessment, design of project components, examining techno
commercial option, financial analysis for viability and sustainability, opportunities for
private sector participation, and financing and implementation structure.

64

Table 10: Projects planned for improvement

S.
No

Projects

Integrated
Development of
Vtshram Sthali'
s

Upgradation of
Tourist
Bunglow ,
Ajmer

Development of
Akbar's Fort

Development of
Taragarh Fort

Component works
Proposed works -Sleeping
platforms, resting sheds,
public conveniences facilities
and amenities, boundarv wall
etc.
Works include upgradation
and interior renovation work,
to improve quality and
enhance revenue.
Wo rks include -provision of
public convenience facility,
landscaping and
beautification works
Proposed works improvement of access steps,
provision of railing and
resting sheds

Estima ted
Cost IRs Rem arks
Lakh}
Work under
progress, State's
46.70 share of project
(approx . 50%)
delaved.
Wor k completed
5,00 and handed over
to AMe

3,31 Work completed.

Work under
progress. State' s
9,33
share of protect
delayed.
Source. Department of Tourism,

65

CHAPTER VI
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Key issues indicated above are based on discussions with municipal and state government
officials in Ajmer, key local stakeholder, and observations during field visits to the City.
All these issues concerning JNNURM in Ajmer-Pushkar naturally leave doubts about the
management and allocation of funds and resources. Irrespective of the projects
undertaken have not been delivered and money amassed has not been spent. In 2010, a
national newspapers local edition27 reported that out of crore of rupees budgeted, no
money had yet been spent on at least five road sub-projects under the CYG 2009 project
since October 2009. The impression this has left on the citizens is that the municipal body
is swindling with their money.

Public efforts towards conservation

Ajmer-Pushkar needs to yet exploit private sector efficiencies for JNNURM projects, in
terms of their financial capacity and operational efficiency, but with adequate scrutiny.
Particularly for solid waste management, private sector participation is essential for the
financial, human and technical resources. The only area where private partnership is
clearly evident is consultancy services. Consultancy fees have been hiked from 2.25
percent to 4.25 percent of the total project cost in May 2008; just below the maximum

66

limit of 5 percent permitted by JNNURM. In a more optimistic vein, progress should not
go unnoticed and has to be appreciated. JNNURM addresses much of the infrastructure
and service delivery needs of Ajmer-Pushkar. But monitoring mechanisms should be
strengthened and decentralised to confirm that projects are taken up and executed
responsibly. It is the responsibility of the PMC to rectify its mistakes, undertake
improvements and bring about clean execution of the mission. Equal responsibility rests
with the citizens to be not mere urban protestors but workers for development. JNNURM
is only a stepping stone towards attaining the vision envisaged for Ajmer-Pushkar. A key
concern many stakeholders expressed is that the younger generation prefers to migrate out
of the city after completing their education as job prospects are deemed better elsewhere.
With a large number of Government employees working in the city, there are concerns
that the city will gradually turn into a pensioners city.

Infrastructure Needs
Both cities have mutual dependencies and similarities when it comes to basic
infrastructure such as water supply, sewerage and sanitation, housing and environment
protection. The tourist potential of both cities also leads to the need to explore the role of
common tourism infrastructure wherever possible. Keeping the above characteristics in
mind, the CDP has identified a number of common development strategies for both cities
and these common development strategies have driven the selection of projects of a
similar nature for both cities.

Some of these common strategies include a focus on rejuvenation and conservation of

important water bodies such as the Ana Sagar Lake, measures to improve the green cover
through targeted afforestation measures in both cities, ensuring comprehensive coverage
of the city residents for basic urban services such as water supply, sewerage and
sanitation, and solid waste management, providing a environmentally clean and
aesthetically pleasant civic space for housing and leisure to citizens, and leveraging and
promoting the heritage value of both the cities for the purposes of tourism. Each city,
however, also has its unique needs.

6.1 Survey Analysis

A total of 152 people were surveyed from different age groups and professional
backgrounds. These also included individuals from local welfare groups and student
67

organizations. There were separate questionnaires prepared for urban management, solid
waste, sanitation etc.

The objective of the survey was to know:

x

Whether the respondents have heard of JNNURM.

x

Alternatives were provided to choose which definition fit the description of

JNNURM. This questioned aimed at giving the respondent a slight idea of
JNNURM in case of unawareness about the mission.
x

What are the priority concerns in Ajmer-Pushkar, according to the respondent?

x

Who do the respondents feel can best bring about the development of AjmerPushkar?
x

The respondents vision for making Ajmer-Pushkar a developed and efficient

city.
x

Citizens were questioned about the cause of unhygienic conditions,reasons

behind and the remedies for the same.
x

Govt. efforts were also checked through questions pertaing to public-private

partnership towards meeting the goals.

6.2 Findings of the survey

x

More than half the respondents surveyed had not heard about JNNURM (54
x

percent).
Awareness about the mission was highest among people between 18 to 35 years
(60 percent) and lowest among the age group 36-55 years (29 percent).

Figure 10: Showing the major issues in Ajmer Pushkar region

60
50
40
30
Ajmer-Pushkar

20
10
0

Solid
waste

Dirty
water

Flies and Impure air

insects

68

75 percent of the respondents feel that road infrastructure and traffic are the most
important concerns in Ajmer-Pushkar and should be given priority attention.
x

According to 73 percent of respondents AMC, Private enterprises, NGOs and

citizens should work together to develop Ajmer-Pushkar. 17 percent think that
private enterprises alone can best bring about the development of Ajmer-Pushkar.
x

A general opinion of the respondents for developing Ajmer-Pushkar included noncorrupt municipal body, well-educated and vigilant citizens with a good civic
sense, voluntary citizen participation and a dynamic youth force.
x

The following figure highlights the major concerns in the area faced by the
citizens which need urgent attention.
x

The failure25 to assimilate citizens participation has led to low public awareness.
x

Conversely, low awareness has restricted voluntary participation. Participatory

development is directly linked to state accountability, empowerment of local
groups and transparency in decision making because programmes and policies that
aim at creating decision-making processes in which local groups have a presence
allows civic society to exert influence over public decisions and open that public
process to more scrutiny.
x

Participatory approaches in urban areas not only makes information-collection

easier and faster but allows local residents to fully realize and appreciate the value
of their knowledge and capacity as agents of development. Especially for slum
improvement projects, community participation is indispensable. The slum
rehabilitation i n Ajmer-Pushkar is an excellent illustration of rehabilitation
through slum dwellers participation

6.3 Towards the Success story of Ajmer under JNNURM

x

Since the launch of the mission, Ajmer-Pushkar progress can be enumerated as follows:
Ajmer is one of the highest fund receiver amongst the cities selected from Rajasthan
x

due to educational and religious reasons.

Trials to achieve 100 percent cost recovery on water supply and user charges has
been tried.
x

PMCs property tax collection has improved thanks to the e-governance system.
x

Martindal bridge extension had been successfully completed during this period.
x

Roads, flyovers and storm water drains have been given top priority.

69

Figure 12: Showing the ideal network for development

cewcece

Public
Participation

Government
Efforts

Role of Local Political

representatives

ddwcszx
xxxxxxx
xxxxx

vdewvw
ssssss

A large number of developmental works are being undertaken in Ajmer in the past
x

years.
Ajmer has an overwhelming number of NGOs eager to help out the PMC in
delivering projects under JNNURM. These, alongside RTI activist, intellectuals and
x

the media are keeping a vigilant watch over the projects.

A new flyover at srinagar road has been completed to make easy accessibility to the
localities in the region,as they used to suffer from delays due to railway crossing
x

there.
Still plans to make a flyover at Subhash nagar chauhara and naka madar crossing
are gradually shaping up.

70

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Reddy, Y. Multilevel planning in India.-- New Delhi: Vikas, 1979vii, 193 p.
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71