Foodies still wait for khau gully at Shukrawari talao

Eight months ago, food lovers of Nagpur were in jubilation mode when it was announced that the city would have its very own legitimate khau gully by November 2016, which was supposed to cater to the diverse needs of city foodies. Today, the stalls are ready, all dented-painted and desperately waiting for the food vendors and gourmets. But there is no sight of either till date.We trace the reasons behind this sarkari apathy that has led to the project being put in the cold storage.
Lakhs of rupees, paid by the taxpayers, have already been spent on the stalls that have been erected along Shukrawari Lake as a part of its beautification drive. So, one wonders if this money will go down the drain or something is being done about it? When asked this question, mayor of Nagpur, Nanda Jichkar, says, “I will have to look into the matter. I will check the reasons that have led to this delay and will try to get the project rolling as soon as possible.”
In October last year, grand announcements were made by the former mayor Pravin Datke where he had said that a bandstand has specially been made near the khau gully so that young singers and musicians of Nagpur can play live on weekends. This delay in starting the project has disappointed many people who were looking forward to the entire package. As a diehard epicurean Sanjay Singh puts it, “It is high time we have a khau gully of our own. Lucknow has it, Indore has it, and Chandigarh has a place where you can enjoy live bands as you indulge yourself. Nagpur has no such place when it comes to an evening out, filled with wholesome music and diverse kind of food. And I’m really disappointed to know that one good project that was shaping along so well, has gone into cold storage. The sad part is that in our city, places close down even before they can start properly. In Telankhedi area too, I find that many eateries have closed down. It is pathetic!”
There are some mini khau gullies that have mushroomed around Traffic Park, Shankar Nagar, Bajaj Nagar, Futala etc. But the discerning foodies feel they lack in variety and hygiene. Another city gourmet, Dr Sameer Chaubey, laments, “The food that you get on Nagpur’s streets is not very hygienic. A few years ago, NMC had conducted a random survey and disclosed that there was bacteria found in most of the street food stalls, causing typhoid, food poisoning and gastro etc. Moreover, the fast food in the city mostly veers around chaat, pav bhaji or desi Chinese, but we also need shawarma and Lebanese delicacies that one gets in Mumbai etc. So, I really wish this khau gully sees the light of the day at the earliest.”