Gulzar Houz-Charminar stretch made one-way

HYDERABAD: The traffic coming from Gulzar Houz towards Charminar will henceforth be stopped as commissioning of the Charminar Pedestrianisation project has began. Traffic police said this will be among the first efforts to offload traffic around Charminar and make the stretch free from vehicular movement.On Wednesday, barricades were arranged after the Gulzar Houz Junction and police diverted the traffic coming from Madina towards Gulzar Houz. In the coming months, motorists coming from Charminar towards Gulzar Houz, will also be barred from using the stretch. “Slowly locals will get habituated to the implementation of one-way and subsequently the whole traffic movement will be banned between Gulzar Houz and Charminar from both ends,” additional commissioner of police (Traffic) CV Anand said. Police said the traffic coming from both ends of Charminar will be diverted towards the Inner Ring road. Vehicles coming from Madina will be diverted towards Gulzar Houz and then after reaching Sardar Mahal, the vehicular traffic will be circumvented, thereby protecting the Charminar from pollution.After several years of planning, at last the works for the Charminar pedestrianisation has begun. Because of increasing vehicular movement around the monument, the 400-year-old structure had been affected by sound and air pollution.By barring entry of motorists along the Charminar, police see several problems including the management of Ganesh immersion procession and political rallies. Police fear the alternative routes will not be in a position to bear the huge crowds.“Even in the alternative routes, several utility cables have to be removed, to make the traffic movement smooth,” Anand added.Officials of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation have started digging the road and laying tiles and cement blocks for the pavements.