HYDERABAD: The delay in completion of Charminar Pedestrianisation Project works on one of the two lanes of the 300-metre stretch of Charminar Kaman Road, from Gulzar Houz circle to Charminar, is not only affecting the free flow of traffic but also eating into the business of the shops lined on both sides of the road.
The pavement works, which were supposed to be completed before the start of Ramzan, however, may not be completed before Eid.
Though the road has been made one-way and the traffic from Mecca Masjid to Gulzar Houz has been diverted through Mitti ka Sher and Arman Hotel on one side and Lad Bazaar through Moosabowli on the other, people seeking shortcuts are adding to prevailing chaos on the narrow road.
“After 12 or 13 days of Ramzan, the traffic congestion will increase on this stretch, especially after Iftaar. People would venture out more for shopping during that period,” said Charminar Traffic police statio SI S Ravi Kumar.
Though GHMC was informed to complete the works before Ramzan, it will take another 20 days for the road to become two-way again, he opined.
The police has put barricades and signboards indicating that the road is one-way and one needs to take diversion. However, violators are aplenty. “Traffic police on the stretch are sending people back to the Charminar roundabout and still if they don’t listen, they are taking photos of them and issuing e-challan,” Ravi Kumar added.
Meanwhile, the delay in completion of works has been affecting the business of the shops on the stretch. “Customers are not able to come to our shops due to massive congestion. Only 25 per cent of the works have been done,” said Md Ahmed Ali, owner of Mahmoodia Book store.
Sohail Mehmood, a shop owner, said due to traffic violators from Charminar side, the road become even more blocked. “The pedestrians are finding it very difficult to negotiate the hotchpotch. Some are even getting hurt by bikes. This one-way is creating lot of problems to the people,” he said.
Shopkeeper Md Ahmed said the officials, who came to take measurements before commencing the works, had promised to complete the activity before Ramzan. “It was supposed to be completed by June 1. They started some 45 days ago. After 10 days of the start of Ramzan, more people would come out to shop. The congestion would increase manifold then,” he said.
Meanwhile, GHMC commissioner B Janardhan Reddy blamed the delay on red-tapism.
“It was a two-decade old plan. We had to face lot of problems including land acquisition, and had to work only in the nights, and got delayed due to permission from traffic police. However, we had monitored it on a daily basis,” he said.