Varanasi, 19 July (HS): The Sustainable Cities

Challenge program was held at Hotel Clarks, taking a significant

initiative towards developing effective solutions for crowd management and sustainable

urban transportation (sustainable mobility) while preserving the historical and

ancient character of Kashi. The event's chief guest, Uttar Pradesh's Urban

Development and Energy Minister, A.K. Sharma, said that Kashi is one of the

world's oldest vibrant cities, with a cultural, spiritual, and historical

identity unparalleled throughout the world. It is our collective responsibility

to preserve this glorious heritage while providing modern and improved

amenities to citizens, devotees, and tourists. Kashi will be connected to

modern amenities while preserving its ancient character.

Energy Minister A.K. Sharma said that since Prime Minister

Narendra Modi became the Member of Parliament from Kashi in 2014, the city has

seen unprecedented development. Roads, ghats, tourism, infrastructure, and

civic amenities have undergone extensive transformation, leading to a steady

increase in the number of tourists and pilgrims from India and abroad.

Alongside this, new challenges such as crowd management and smooth

transportation have emerged, which must be addressed through modern technology,

data-driven management, and innovation.

Minister AK Sharma said that Kashi is identified by its

ancient culture, narrow streets, and religious heritage. Therefore, every

development model must strike a balance between heritage preservation and

modern urban management. Through innovative technologies, smart mobility

solutions, and public participation, Kashi can be developed into a world-class,

safe, and accessible city.

He expressed confidence that programmes like

Sustainable Cities Challenge will become a powerful platform for

discussion among experts, policy makers and the administration and the

suggestions received through them will play an important role in determining

the future direction of crowd management, traffic system and sustainable urban

development of Kashi.

Speaking at the event, Varanasi Division Commissioner S.

Rajalingam and Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal stated that new

approaches and innovative solutions are needed to manage Varanasi's narrow

streets, densely populated areas, and the ever-increasing flow of pilgrims and

tourists. They called for a model that better integrates heritage conservation,

civic amenities, and modern urban management.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi