Urban Development Ministry to revive Varanasi's former glory

Urban Development Ministry to revive Varanasi's former glory
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, JAN 18: The Urban Development Ministry has drawn up an ambitious Rs 508-crore project to revive the former grandeur of the historic city of Varanasi as part of an overall plan to ``rejuvenate culturally-significant cities'' across the country.

Unveiling the plan, which also encompasses the cities of Madurai, Trichy, Indore and Ujjain, today, Urban Development Minister Jagmohan termed the project as a ``frontal attack on areas of civic decay and degeneration.'

At the centre of the plan drawn up for Varanasi is a park, to be built by the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) on land partly donated by the Kashi Vishwanath Trust and the government.

The complex will be called ``Avimukta'' the oldest name for Varanasi. It will be located at the opening of the Dashashvamedha Ghat near the temple. Some 400 shops in the interior galis of the ghat have been relocated to other parts of the city.

The land cleared of the shops will be divided into a cultural and commercial zone. The cultural zone will provide a fora for performing artists in the the city, while the commercial complex will house the famed Benarsi silk sari shops and other shops of tourist interest.

Other plans for Varanasi include development of historic ghats in the city, rejuvenation of water bodies, opening nearly two-thirds of the city to the river front and building of sewage treatment plants, especially near the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

``Near the Vishwanath Temple, there is a huge dalaon of refuse which emits an insufferable foul smell,'' the minister pointed out in this context.

Incidentally, of the city's 350 litres daily sewer only 180 million litres is treated. About half of its daily 500 tonnes solid waste is not taken care of. Forty per cent of the city's 15 million population lives in 146 slums.

A sample sewage disposal plant at Gadolia has started working, he said.

Jagmohan said the almost defunct Ganga Action Plan in its Phase I and II would also be completed under the scheme. Rs 9 crore is being released for the purpose, he said.

The railway ministry, he said, has also been roped into the project, with vacant land near the four railway stations proposed to be utilised for pilgrims and tavellers stay. The success of the Varanasi plan will be the yard stick for similar projects in other cities.