MCD to install London-like blue plaques to increase awareness of heritage sites

New Delhi: The MCD will be installing blue plaques at 1,300 heritage sites, including schools, hospitals, police stations, across the national capital to increase awareness about the heritage sites, the officials said.

The initiative is similar to the blue plaque programme of London, they said.

"Our target is to complete the work in the next 15-20 days. The work has already started. These plagues will basically serve as sign boards to attract the attention of the heritage lovers."

"They will increase awareness about the heritage sites which otherwise go unnoticed due to unkept or no sign boards," an official told PTI.

London's blue plaque programme, which began in 1866 and is believed to be the first of its kind, provides an informal historical walking tour of the city that commemorates notable people and their accomplishments by highlighting the places where they lived and worked.

In the first phase of the programme, 55 notified heritage sites have been identified where these plaques have been installed. The civic body has over 1,300 sites under its jurisdiction.

"These monuments are located in the walled city area. There are a total of 1,300 notified sites where these plaques will be installed. A number of places including maqbara of important figures, schools, hospitals and police station will be covered under this initiative," the official told PTI.

The plaques are ready for most of the sites and they will be installed by the works or maintenance department of the MCD, he added.

The honourees under the Blue Plaque programme in London include famous figures from wartime prime minister Winston Churchill to communist pioneer Karl Marx, as well as lesser known figures like theatrical wigmaker Willy Clarkson and civil engineer William Lindley, who built water and sewage systems around the world.

There are also plaques honouring foreigners like India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru and American rock star Jimi Hendrix, who lived in London only briefly.