‘We’ve been running our shops here for decades’: As demolitions begin at Varanasi’s historic Dalmandi, protests simmer

Mohammad Ashraf, who runs a household utensils shop, said both his home and his shop are slated to be demolished. “The land they are taking away is very precious to me. I have already submitted all the required documents for verification, but the compensation being offered is far too little…”

He added, “I cannot stop the process… my only request is that they increase the compensation amount so that I can buy another piece of land and rebuild my life.”

The Public Works Department (PWD) had identified a total of 186 buildings that are expected to be affected by the project — which covers a 650-metre stretch — and issued notices. “Road-widening work has officially begun. So far, compensation has been provided for three properties after verification of land-related documents,” said K K Singh, Executive Engineer, PWD.

He said one of the identified buildings was demolished in the presence of heavy police force. “Since the area is extremely congested, earthmovers could not be used. Hence, the demolition was carried out manually by labourers,” Singh explained.

He added that owners of over 30 buildings located along the stretch have submitted their property documents. “The process to verify these is underway, after which further compensation and demolition action will be taken.”

Located 300 metres from the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Dalmandi houses around 500 shops — from garments, jewellery, and household goods — many of which are small businesses run by members of the Muslim community. The plan is to widen the road from its current 3-4 metres to 17.4 metres to improve accessibility and ease traffic flow in the area. 

Several shopowners, however, said the compensation is too little. Traders also said the absence of a clear rehabilitation or compensation plan for tenants could severely affect their livelihoods.

Rajesh Gandhi, who runs a household utensils shop in Dalmandi, said, “The government has not yet clarified what compensation will be given to tenants like us who have been running businesses here for years.” 

“So far, only building owners are being considered for compensation, while shopkeepers, who depend entirely on this market for their livelihood, have been left in uncertainty.”

Gandhi added that most shops in the market are rented and have been operated by the same families for decades. “… We have now accepted that our shops will be demolished. All we ask from the government is fair compensation so we can restart our business elsewhere.”

Shopkeeper Shahabuddin, who also runs a business in the area, said authorities demolished one of the buildings after convincing its owner to agree to it. “We’ve heard that the owner feels she was cheated because the compensation she received was far less than what she was expecting,” he claimed.

He added, “We are now planning to approach the court to stop the authorities from taking over our buildings. Many of us have been running our shops here for decades.”

Shops get tax notices

Meanwhile, the Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC) has issued notices to 184 properties that fall under the proposed road-widening area, citing pending dues of nearly Rs 2 crore towards house, water, and sewer taxes. It has pasted demand notices on several buildings.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Mritunjay Mishra said, “Demand notices have been served to these owners, instructing them to deposit the dues within the stipulated time.”

He warned that if property owners fail to make the payments, the next course of action will involve attachment of their properties in accordance with municipal rules. “If the dues are not cleared despite the notices, we will initiate proceedings to attach the properties and recover the outstanding amount,” he added.

The civic body had directed the PWD to deduct pending property tax dues from the compensation amount to be paid to building owners whose structures are marked for partial or complete demolition.

This is the second-largest development project in Varanasi after the redevelopment of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, undertaken since the BJP came to power in the state. 

Government officials had earlier said the project, cleared in July, is essential due to the steep rise in tourists and pilgrims visiting the temple and nearby ghats since the temple corridor was developed. During peak hours and festivals, the Dalmandi Road becomes heavily crowded, making movement difficult. Once widened, the road is expected to offer a shorter and smoother route to the temple.

An official had said the project will also include construction of footpaths for pedestrians and improvements to basic facilities like sewer and water pipelines, electricity lines, gas pipelines, broadband, and telephone cables — most of which will be shifted underground.

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