Renaissance of Pondicherry
PondyCAN supports a development paradigm for Pondicherry that involves decentralized development with a strong emphasis on heritage preservation and environmental and civic awareness. Too much of recent development has occurred at the town core, creating a mess of traffic congestion, garbage, inadequate infrastructure, noise pollution, and environmental degradation – not to mention the sad deterioration of Pondicherry’s unique heritage architecture
PondyCAN envisions a new model of how Indian heritage towns like Pondicherry ought to be preserved and developed: with a focus on decentralized development and environmental sustainability, built on a dynamic partnership between government, civic organizations, and individuals with the overall goal of making Pondicherry clean, safe, beautiful and peaceful, both for citizens and tourists
As an important step, the Raj Bhavan Association was formed in 2012. A civic, voluntary body, this group works “towards long-term, sustainable community solutions from building healthy neighborhoods to expanding the scope and efficiency of public services” in one Pondicherry neighborhood
The group, with PondyCAN support and participation, has worked to organize community solid waste management, vehicle parking, and manage stray dog problems in the area.
Other Renaissance of Pondicherry initiatives include lobbying for a user-friendly, architecturally appealing market and working towards a comprehensive restoration of Pondicherry’s historic town (see Background for more information).