Dalmandi demolition resumes; only 36 bldgs left to clear way for project

Varanasi: The demolition drive for the ambitious Dalmandi road widening project resumed on Monday after a brief pause, with only 36 of the 187 identified buildings now remaining to be removed.

Once completed, the Rs 224-crore project will widen the 650-metre stretch to 17.4 metres, creating a wider, congestion-free approach to the Kashi Vishwanath Dham for pilgrims and tourists.The widened road is expected to reduce traffic pressure on existing routes, particularly the heavily congested Maidagin-Godowlia corridor leading to the temple area.PWD officials said demolition has been carried out on nearly 150 buildings so far.

Of these, 101 have been completely demolished, while work on the remaining structures is in progress.According to PWD officials, the demolition drive had been temporarily halted due to a shortage of workers during Muharram. The exercise resumed on Monday after workmen returned.PWD executive engineer KK Singh said the registration process had been completed for 105 buildings, while the process was underway for the remaining 36 properties.

Besides the properties acquired by the PWD, the demolition drive also covered buildings declared dilapidated by the Varanasi Municipal Corporation and those identified as illegal by the Varanasi Development Authority.Singh said more than Rs 62 crore had been disbursed as compensation to property owners. Once all 187 buildings or their portions are removed, civil work for the road construction will begin under the ambitious project, which aims to transform the narrow 650-metre Dalmandi stretch into a 17.4-metre-wide road, easing congestion and improving access to the Kashi Vishwanath Dham.