Traders a worried lot as Dalmandi road widening set to begin
A joint team of VNN and PWD, along with the team of Sadar tehsil, carried out a survey for the project and identified 146 buildings along the 650-metre stretch, says official
VARANASI Traders in the crowded Dalmandi market are a worried lot ever since a team of PWD and Varanasi Nagar Nigam recently conducted a survey, including measurement of shops and houses along the 650-metre stretch, to plan the expansion of the narrow 12-15 ft wide road to ease traffic congestion caused by encroachments.
“My bags shop is over nine decades old. My grandfather started this shop, which my father carried forward... now we are running it. It is our sole source of earning. A team of officials from the PWD and VNN recently came here and measured the width of the shop. Then I came to know that my shop is coming in the purview of Dalmandi road widening. If my shop is removed, how will I earn my livelihood,” questioned Nadeem Raju, concerned over the widening of the road from Nai Sadak to Chowk via Dalmandi.
Echoing similar concerns, many traders carried out a signature campaign against the project on Thursday. The UP government had on April 1 approved the project. The road will be widened to around 17 metres and the estimated cost of the project is around ₹210 crore, said an executive engineer of PWD.
A Varanasi Nagar Nigam official said a joint team of VNN and PWD, along with the team of Sadar tehsil, carried out a survey for the project and identified 146 buildings and six places of worship along the 650-metre stretch. The six places of worship are mosques, added the official.
“Each of the 146 buildings identified for the project houses at least four shops. So you can guage the impact,” said Shahnawaz Khan ‘Shanu’, secretary of Dalmandi Vyapar Association, expressing concern.
VNN PRO Sandeep Srivastava said, “The public works department has been made nodal agency for the widening the road.” He refused to divulge more details.
During his recent visit to Kashi, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had asked officials to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) for the project. A PWD official said the DPR, along with the survey report, was sent to the state government for approval.
There is a plan to acquire the buildings coming in the purview of the road widening, said another official.
Joint secretary of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee SM Yasin said: “There is anger among traders regarding the project. In addition to over 145 buildings, mostly shops, six mosques are also coming under the purview of the widening of this lane. We will make all possible efforts to save the mosques.”
