New vendors rush to occupy buffer zone

Charminar: Even as the civic authorities are contemplating to make the Charminar area an iconic tourist spot, the new vendors have started to throng the 'buffer zone' that was created by laying stone tiles around it. The vendors in the area were shifted from here to the nearby markets so that to ease the pedestrianization works can be carried out.

Shifting of vendors, hawkers from Charminar was later snowballed into a controversy with Gold and Jewellery businessmen protested against the move and also moved to High Court later. The court later asked the civic authorities to provide alternative space for the hawkers shifted to Kali Kaman area. On one hand, the Buffer zone is slowly occupied by the vendors and hawkers. Some women started selling Tamarind Leaves in front of Charminar. Similarly, some people were seen selling stones and other accessories sitting on the buffer zone which is actually created to make the area 'vendor-free'.

The pedestrianization project works would be completed in a month or so. As part of the first phase, the tiles were laid across Charminar and some work is left. Traffic police has invoked diversions in the area. The State government is of the idea that Charminar area be developed on the lines of Amritsar and other cities where historical monuments were protected and preserved.

BY Syed Mujtaba Hussain Abidi