Pedestrianisation project to be over by March

Charminar: Works on the Charminar Pedestrianisation Project have been going on at a brisk pace for past two months. These works were started after a long gap of several years. Earlier the stone tiles were laid on the four sides of Charminar but this time the tiles are being laid around the structure.

Despite traffic snarls and congestion, Charminar retains its charm and tourists flock to it like ever

However, it did not affect the tourism near Charminar and its surroundings. These works were actually needed to be completed much earlier but could not be. The grounding of granite tiles on one side of the structure is already over. A large pit has been dug on the southern side of the structure in order to give it a complete shape.

There have been traffic snarls due to these works for the past two months. Municipal officials have been inspecting the works with regular intervals in order to complete the project in a stipulated time.

Despite the works, the footfall of tourists from across the world has not come down. In fact, number of tourists swelled during past one month as per the tourism department inputs.

Once the pedestrianisation works are over, two wheelers and four wheelers will not be allowed near the buffer zone thus created. The project has been flawed for loopholes in its execution from the beginning. This has however set right the ever-encroaching fruit sellers near the Charminar.

These fruit vendors have been reined in and are forced to arrange their push carts in a proper way near Charminar. It is evident that they have realised that this is the only way they can continue their business here .

Earlier, these fruit vendors used to encroach most of the road and block traffic movement. However, only a small space is left after pedestrian project began that forced fruit vendors to move backwards. GHMC officials say that these works would be completed in next two months.