Lessons from Maintaining Statue of Unity, Gujarat
Tourism is often measured in numbers — footfall, revenue, or global ranking. But behind these figures lies an equally important measure: the ability to maintain world-class standards of cleanliness at sites that welcome thousands daily. Nowhere was this more tested than at the Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest statue and one of India’s proudest landmarks. Drawing lakhs of visitors within months of its inauguration, the monument became a case study in how facility management along with discipline and innovation must work hand in hand. In this article, Nilesh Kumar Dubey, former assistant commissioner, Statue of Unity, and former general manager – Gujarat Tourism, shares his experiences.
A tourist does not see the hours of labour behind the shine; one bad odour or overflowing bin can undo the entire housekeeping effort.
— Nilesh Kumar Dubey
When the Statue of Unity was inaugurated in 2018, it was not just about unveiling the world’s tallest statue at 182 meters. It was about creating a living monument that reflected India’s pride, vision, and organizational strength. With the central role in managing facility operations of a site that grew into a complete tourism ecosystem: exhibition halls, audio-visual galleries, the Valley of Flowers, riverfront promenades, ferry terminals, and expansive gardens. And a high footfall of tourists.
Managing the Tides of Visitors
On an average day, the Statue of Unity welcomed 15,000 visitors. Weekends pushed this number to 18,000-20,000, and on festivals such as Janmashtami, footfall peaked at 35,000 in a single day. These figures are staggering in the context of facility management. Imagine coordinating washrooms, waste collection, gardens, food courts, security and visitor flow for what is practically the size of a small town arriving in one burst.
The key to sustaining world-class cleanliness under such conditions lay in discipline, planning and constant innovation. Housekeeping could not be reactive; it had to be proactive, anticipating where stress points would arise. Queue management, rest area placement, frequency of cleaning schedules, and manpower deployment were designed to handle “surge behaviour” – the sudden bursts when thousands converged at one point, such as viewing galleries or food courts.
High visitor volume brings with it predictable yet complex challenges:
• Washroom Hygiene: With thousands of visitors using facilities, odour management and cleanliness become the biggest tests of any system. Despite frequent cleaning, persistent stink was a recurring complaint.
• Waste Disposal: Food wrappers and plastic bottles multiplied during peak hours. Traditional collection schedules were not enough; we had to deploy mobile squads with handheld bins for crowd areas.
• Wear and Tear: Constant usage meant taps, flush systems, and urinals needed continuous maintenance. A small malfunction could snowball into hygiene lapses.
• Visitor Behaviour: Educating and guiding visitors was as important as physical cleaning. Simple nudges like signage, audio announcements, and trained staff explaining proper use played a huge role.
Lesson from the Urinals
One example highlights how small innovations can make a big difference. The underlying problem of odour in washrooms was bacterial fuming caused by vapour condensation. After much trial and error, we implemented a system of chemical dosing at the inlet, combined with heated vapour treatment, which significantly reduced bacterial growth and odour.
Similar practical fixes were developed across the site – from redesigning drainage slopes to repositioning waste bins where behavioural mapping showed higher littering.
Besides, cleaners and machines, professionalism is in creating a culture. At the Statue of Unity, we trained housekeeping teams to think like hospitality ambassadors. Their uniforms and conduct conveyed a sense of pride in maintaining India’s global landmark. Technology also played its part – digital monitoring of manpower attendance, sensor-based cleaning schedules, and centralised control rooms helped us optimise resources.
Most importantly, we created feedback loops. Visitor complaints were not treated as irritations but as diagnostic tools. A single issue flagged by a tourist often helped us detect a systemic gap that needed fixing.
Security & Safety: The Silent Backbone
Housekeeping is closely tied to safety. For example:
• Fire Safety: We had to ensure water levels in hydrant tanks were always full. Gardeners sometimes tapped this water for irrigation, which created vulnerabilities. Strict checks, locks, and coordination solved this issue.
• CO₂ Cylinders & Extinguishers: Regular audits and mock drills ensured readiness. Housekeeping teams were trained to identify anomalies during their rounds.
• Crowd Safety: Cleanliness directly impacted crowd movement. Overflowing bins or wet floors could become hazards during peak rush.
By integrating safety protocols with hygiene operations, we made sure that the tourist experience remained both pleasant and secure.
Broader Lessons for Tourism Housekeeping
From my experience at the Statue of Unity, a few broader lessons emerge for managing housekeeping in high-footfall tourist destinations:
1. Plan for Peaks, Not Averages: Your systems should handle the worst-case footfall, not the daily average.
2. Innovate Locally: Simple, low-cost innovations often work better than imported solutions.
3. Train People as Ambassadors: Every housekeeping worker is a brand custodian.
4. Integrate Hygiene with Safety: Fire, water, and cleanliness are interdependent in high-density sites.
5. Feedback is Gold: Treat every complaint as a signal, not a setback.
The Statue of Unity is more than a structure; it is a living system of people, processes, and pride. Keeping it clean under extraordinary footfall was a professional challenge, but also a privilege. In many ways, housekeeping at tourist attractions is not just about mops and machines – it is about honouring the visitor’s trust and preserving the dignity of the place.
As India develops new cultural, spiritual and entertainment hubs, we must remember –cleanliness is not an accessory, it is the foundation of world-class tourism.
