Charminar’s perennial grid lock

Heavy traffic is an everyday occurrence. Festive shopping and tourists just make it worse

Bhagyashree Tarke

Traffic jams are a permanent feature of Charminar not only because of the lack of road discipline in auto drivers and two wheelers. The 50 odd push carts laden with fresh and seasonal fruits are permanently positioned from the early morning hours to late night have also been a major contributor to the traffic menace. Customers hunting for bargain prices, devotees visiting the Bhagyalakshmi temple and Mecca Masjid add emphasis to the chaotic scenario.

The Hyderabad Hans spoke to a cross section of people who not only operate out of the region but have made attempts at finding a solution for the problem. With respect to the Charminar Pedestrianisation Project, various authorities like GHMC and ASI have been grappling with this vexed issue. As reported earlier (Hyderabad Hans August 4, 2013) the GHMC is still awaiting the final nod for its proposal since June last year to carpet the road near Charminar for an amount of Rs 5 crore.

The sheer absence of traffic police personnel despite having the traffic police station in the vicinity is equally responsible for the deteriorating situation. Looks like the GHMC and the traffic cops contest with each other, on who will make more money by allowing the illegal encroachments.

“All the encroachments of the fruit vendors and other businesses are illegal but we cannot help the situation by barring them from selling their wares here. There are political interests vested in this particular issue”, says Uma Maheshwar Rao, Inspector of Traffic Police, Charminar. The chaotic traffic condition worsens as the autowalas and cars team up with the two-wheelers and block the other side of the road by overtaking vehicles. And the disorder remains in full form across the stretch starting from Charminar Bus Stop to Madina.

The traffic is stressing out the road users because of the narrow passage for the moving vehicles that is to be shared with the pedestrians and other tourists and visitors who are busy posing for photographs, shopping and waiting for autos. The little road space allotted to the drivers is also full of potholes and cannot be extended as the bigger share of it is meant for the fruit vendors and the share autos, which are spread out in the most disordered fashion.

“This is the only job we do to earn for our living and so we cooperate and make place for each other and sell fruits. Not only that sometimes we help managing the traffic if there is a jam”, says a fruit vendor. One can get a bird’s eye view of the chaos and the troublesome road management from the top of the Charminar. It is quite obvious why this huge striking monument is in poor shape and is losing its charm.