Varanasi: It took almost four years to complete the mammoth task of expansion of Kashi The shrine area of Vishwanath Temple ranges from a mere 2,700 square feet to 5 lakh square feet in Kashi Vishwanath Dham, and the officials handling the project face new challenges every day.
Initiating talks to buy old buildings, demolish them, remove debris through narrow, winding lanes in congested areas, rehabilitate the displaced while keeping Kashi’s intrinsic culture and tradition intact, seemed like an impossible task at hand. Was.
Recalling the visit, Divisional Commissioner and Chairman of Shree Kashi Vishwanath Special Area Development Board Deepak Agarwal said, “Our first test was to ensure that the culture and religious traditions remained undisturbed as commercial activities expanded into a densely populated area. Was. ,
In the initial survey for the project, 166 buildings were identified, but after two plan revisions, 320 buildings were earmarked, and then complex negotiations with the owners began, he said.
“There were many tenants who paid nominal rent, many properties belonged to trusts or religious bodies, while some of the owners had shifted abroad. There was opposition of different colours, including political,” he said.
Agarwal said that around 1,111 people were rehabilitated after they were explained through transparent dialogue.
He said that Rs 390 crore was spent on purchase of buildings and about Rs 100 crore was spent on rehabilitation.
There were further difficulties when temples were found in many buildings. Aggarwal said the buildings had to be manually demolished to ensure the temples were not damaged.
It was also a challenging task to clear the post demolition debris through congested lanes and uneven ground while ensuring that the supply of sewage, water and electricity is not affected.
“During all this, we had to ensure that the entry of devotees KVT was not disturbed. Since the KVT is in the red zone (internal security cordon) of the highly sensitive KVT-Gyanvapi complex, we had to be extra cautious in allowing entry to people engaged in construction work,” said Agarwal.
When 70% of the identified buildings were bought and demolished, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi On 8th March 2019, the foundation stone of KVD was laid.
And, when construction began in February 2020, the Covid-19 waves and the lockdown multiplied our challenges as the project was scheduled to be completed in August, he said.
“We tried our best to keep the work going amidst all the restrictions and protocols. PWD executive engineer Sanjay Gore, who is overseeing the project, said that we have ensured all the facilities which pilgrims can dream of in any major temple.
Initiating talks to buy old buildings, demolish them, remove debris through narrow, winding lanes in congested areas, rehabilitate the displaced while keeping Kashi’s intrinsic culture and tradition intact, seemed like an impossible task at hand. Was.
Recalling the visit, Divisional Commissioner and Chairman of Shree Kashi Vishwanath Special Area Development Board Deepak Agarwal said, “Our first test was to ensure that the culture and religious traditions remained undisturbed as commercial activities expanded into a densely populated area. Was. ,
In the initial survey for the project, 166 buildings were identified, but after two plan revisions, 320 buildings were earmarked, and then complex negotiations with the owners began, he said.
“There were many tenants who paid nominal rent, many properties belonged to trusts or religious bodies, while some of the owners had shifted abroad. There was opposition of different colours, including political,” he said.
Agarwal said that around 1,111 people were rehabilitated after they were explained through transparent dialogue.
He said that Rs 390 crore was spent on purchase of buildings and about Rs 100 crore was spent on rehabilitation.
There were further difficulties when temples were found in many buildings. Aggarwal said the buildings had to be manually demolished to ensure the temples were not damaged.
It was also a challenging task to clear the post demolition debris through congested lanes and uneven ground while ensuring that the supply of sewage, water and electricity is not affected.
“During all this, we had to ensure that the entry of devotees KVT was not disturbed. Since the KVT is in the red zone (internal security cordon) of the highly sensitive KVT-Gyanvapi complex, we had to be extra cautious in allowing entry to people engaged in construction work,” said Agarwal.
When 70% of the identified buildings were bought and demolished, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi On 8th March 2019, the foundation stone of KVD was laid.
And, when construction began in February 2020, the Covid-19 waves and the lockdown multiplied our challenges as the project was scheduled to be completed in August, he said.
“We tried our best to keep the work going amidst all the restrictions and protocols. PWD executive engineer Sanjay Gore, who is overseeing the project, said that we have ensured all the facilities which pilgrims can dream of in any major temple.
,