Kashi lanes to get a ‘smart’ retro look
VARANASI India’s spiritual capital Varanasi is being beautified under the old Kashi rejuvenation project worth Rs 80 crore and work is on to give narrow lanes of the city a retro look along with smart facilities.
Six wards, including Dashashwamedh, Jangamwadi, Kameshwar Mahadev, Kaal Bhairav, Rajmandir and Garhwasi Tola wards, will get a facelift as part of this project.
Lanes in these wards will get theme-based wall paintings showcasing the culture of Kashi while dilapidated square stones will be replaced with new ones. New underground water supply pipelines and sewerage lines will also be laid here, work for which is already in progress.
Each lane will have duct chambers so that in future, electricity line and water supply line could be laid without damaging the square stones and water/ sewage pipelines. Roughly, there are around 400 lanes, including sub-lanes, in Kashi. Hundred of these are the prominent ones, said officials.
The ward-wise estimated cost of rejuvenation and developmental work is: Kaal Bhairav Ward-Rs 16.24 crore, Kameshwar Mahadev Ward-17.09 crore, Jangamwadi ward-Rs 12.65 crore, Dashashwamedh Ward-Rs 16.22 crore, Rajmandir ward-Rs 13.53 crore and Garhwasi Tola ward - Rs 9.60 crore.
The deadline for the completion of work in Kaal Bhairav Ward, Kameshwar Mahadev Ward and Rajmandir ward is September 2021, while work in Jangamwadi and Dashashwamedh wards will be completed by December 2021. “Work is already in progress at Dashashwamedh ward. Sewage and water supply pipelines are being replaced with new ones. At a time, work is being undertaken in a few lanes. As soon as the work is completed in these lanes, the same will be done in the next set of lanes,” said an officer of the Varanasi Nagar Nigam associated with the project.
Temporary pipelines have been installed as an alternative arrangement so that locals and tourists don’t face any inconvenience, the officer said.
Chief executive officer, Smart City (Varanasi) project and municipal commissioner Gaurang Rathi said, “The project is aimed at beautifying and rejuvenating the ancient look of the lanes in six wards of the ancient city. Various developmental works would be carried out. Work has already started under the project in certain areas.”
“The lanes will have theme-based wall paintings and new square stones. Rejuvenation will conserve the lanes and attract tourists from across the world,” he said.
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