Shrawan woes: Kashi roads in shambles, kanwariyas to face hardships in city

Varanasi: Pilgrims and kanwariyas heading to Kashi during the auspicious month of Shrawan starting July 11 may face challenges due to the dismal condition of the route, particularly around Godowlia. The road between Girjaghar and Godowlia crossings is severely damaged, especially after the Ghodanala was affected during the ropeway project, and remains unrepaired, making it difficult even for pedestrians.Additionally, construction material for the ropeway structures has also kept the road occupied. To meet the challenge of crowd regulation, the police have planned to divert kanwariyas and other pilgrims towards Sonarpura, which will compel them to walk extra miles. The situation may worsen for kanwariyas coming from the Prayagraj side if it rains, as other routes will also pose challenges, compounding the difficulties.When TOI took stock of the area between Girjaghar and Godowlia crossings, through which about 60% of the total pilgrims and kanwariyas reach Kashi Vishwanath temple and Dashaswamedh Ghat during the holy month of Shrawan, shocking facts surfaced. The Girjaghar crossing is facing congestion due to the assembly of a steel structure and dumping of its parts in a disorganized manner. Additionally, e-rickshaws are occupying the remaining space, causing difficulties for locals and pilgrims to walk comfortably.The Girjaghar-Godowlia road has become impassable due to damage to Ghodanala, with one lane completely blocked. The opposite lane is also in poor condition, leaving only a 2-meter-wide space for pedestrians. The road's condition has worsened over the past year due to ropeway project work, particularly with the piling for the last tower (T29).After piling 7 metres deep for the T29 tower construction, water seepage occurred on June 14, forcing a halt in earthworks. An evacuation order was issued for nearby buildings the next day. Now, UP Jal Nigam is investigating the source of the seepage, but repair work remains incomplete.When contacted, commissioner of police Mohit Agrawal explained how the crowd movement will be managed during the Shrawan month. He said, "We will divert kanwariyas and pilgrims coming via Rathyatra, Luxa and Naisadak towards Sonarpura to reach Godowlia via Jangambadi like it was done on the days of heavy crowding during Maha Kumbh. Diversions will also be ensured on other available routes." This diversion will add three to five kilometres extra to the journey of Kanwariyas and pilgrims, who walk on foot to reach Kashi Vishwanath temple.Despite all these ground realities, district magistrate Satyendra Kumar has not lost hope. He said, "We are making efforts to ensure that at least one lane of Girjaghar-Godowlia road becomes available for pedestrian movement by intensifying necessary repair works in the next seven days."The kanwariyas from the Prayagraj side, who opt for the Marhauli route to reach Kashi Vishwanath temple via Manduadih-Rathyatra, will have testing times in case of spells of heavy rainfall as it leaves many points between Mudaila and Manduadih waterlogged for a long time. The district administration could begin works of cleaning of choked drains on this route when barricading to reserve one for Kanwariyas movement had already been done. Before the officials could meet the challenges existing on the Mudaila-Manduadih road, a big portion of the airport road at Gilat Bazar crossing caved in. This crossing is the city's entry point for vehicles coming from Lucknow-Jaunpur. A large number of Kanwariyas also enter the city through this crossing.