Hazratganj a fading beauty: Colour scheme violated, roads littered
Traders’ association blames poor civic planning, administrative apathy
LUCKNOW: Hazratganj is in a shambles. The colour scheme of Ganj is being abused, sign norms are being violated, hoardings are coming back, balustrades are missing, haphazard parking of vehicles is evident, the roads are littered despite being cleaned twice a day, the Victorian benches are missing, and the traders, themselves, remain disconnected.
Yet, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) is planning to revamp four major markets of the city on the pattern of Ganj.
Kishan Chand Bhambwani, president, Hazratganj Traders Association, said, “During the period when the market was renovated, traders had a say in all the renovation. Traders were consulted by authorities, but today, after the construction of the Metro, footpaths were widened and the road on both sides was reduced by 15 feet. Further, a divider was constructed without consulting the traders which made roads narrower. Now, the LMC cranes have vanished, and people park their vehicles on the road. That’s why the market witnesses heavy traffic jams created because of poor planning by civic departments and the apathy of the administration.”
Bhambwani said, “We have written to the LMC for the violation of colour scheme and signage code. We have also highlighted the problem of hoardings being placed by a building owner frequently but there has been no action by the LMC despite a high court order against it.”
Another prominent Ganj trader said that overflowing drains have become an eyesore
and the market is not cleaned properly.
Meanwhile, the LMC has invited Ganj traders for an interaction on Thursday. All the points raised by them would be discussed at length. LMC cranes would be back on roads to discipline traffic soon. Besides, the LMC has already decided to act against violators of colours and
signage norms. The problem of a few hoardings coming up in Ganj will also be discussed tomorrow and a decision on that would be taken. No one would be allowed to deface the heritage market or disturb the skyline of the market, Pankaj Singh, additional municipal commissioner, said.
However, LMC officials blame the Ganj traders for the mess. Singh said, “Traders lack belonging to the market. They have failed to maintain a beautiful market and are directly responsible for the mess. Just ask them who has broken the railings, who has broken garbage bins, why are there paanstained walls, fungus-filled, non-functional fountains, dirty and discoloured benches and who has allowed parking of vehicles on pavements.”
The LMC has warned traders who have put extensions of eateries in verandas, said Singh.
Mayor Sanyukta Bhatia said, “It’s appalling to see people spitting on walls or throwing plates after taking Kulfi and chaat. Residents also have a big role to play in keeping this heritage alive. It’s unfortunate to see some shopkeepers converting the space in front of their shops into a parking stand. There are others who have extended their counters into the veranda. I have asked officials to take strict action against encroachers.”