Heritage Trail Project becomes irksome for residents, shopkeepers

PESHAWAR: The Directorate of Archaeology and Museums has failed to complete the Heritage Trail Project in time, drawing criticism from the shopkeepers and the residents.

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had inaugurated the work on the project costing Rs315 million on December 7, last year. It was supposed to be completed by April 7.

The project area starts from the 118-year-old Ghanta Ghar (Cunningham Clock Tower), and passes through Bazaar-e-Kalaan and Mohallah Sethian and ends at Gor Khatri Archaeological Complex.

It has four major components — to give historical touch to the new buildings in the old quarters of the city by making the façades look like old historical ones, to take the electricity and telephone cables underground and construct underground drains, renovate and pave the streets in the aforementioned localities and display flowers to attract tourists.

The fronts of around 80 new buildings and shops are being given a historical touch to make these structures look like centuries old.

The project had to be executed in 120 days, but the non-completion of the work has irked the residents, particularly shopkeepers, as the business activities in the surroundings of Ghanta Ghar, Bazaar-e-Kalaan and the adjacent New Muslim Meena Bazaar have come to a standstill.

Yasir Khan, a shopkeeper in Bazaar-e-Kalaan, said the development work has affected business adversely.

“The road and footpaths have been dug up and construction work is being carried out slowly. The customers and people face hardships to move through this road due to piles of sand, gravel and other construction material. People avoid visiting the markets,” he added.

He said his daily sales before the launch of the project was Rs20,000 but has dropped to a meagre Rs4,000 per day.

President Bazaar-e-Kalaan Shopkeepers Association, Mukhtar Ahmad, said 413 shopkeepers were affected by the project.

He said the government had agreed to pay Rs10,000 compensation per month to each shopkeeper, adding only 235 had received the compensation cheques so far. “The shopkeepers are waiting for customers, but very few come and shop here due to inaccessibility of the shops as a result of the ongoing work,” he said.

He said the shopkeepers had to pay up to Rs50,000 rent and also Rs15,000 in salaries to helpers per month. “It is very difficult for us to continue our business and manage our expenditures,” he argued.

“We were aware of the difficulties we had to go through after the launch of the project but we did not oppose it because it was a good initiative to repair and renovate these sites and buildings of historical importance. We had thought the government would ensure its timely completion but we were wrong,” he added.

Mukhtiar Ahmad alleged that substandard material was being used in the development work. “Two children suffered head injuries after bricks from an under-construction building fell on them a few days ago,” he complained.

A resident of Gor Khatri, Mumtaz Khan, said they were faced with a host of problems due to the ongoing development work on the project.

He said several people had suffered injuries after falling into ditches and twisting their legs on the construction material dumped on the road and footpaths.

“A youth got his leg fractured and some women suffered minor injuries after they lost balance and fell to the ground. I too got my hand injured after falling into a ditch,” he said showing his wound.

He said it was difficult to shift a patient to hospital in an emergency as the roads and streets are blocked due to digging, ongoing work and construction material piled up there.

The shopkeepers have threatened protest over any further delay in the completion of the project.

Nawazuddin, a research officer at the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, said the hurdles created by the office-bearers of various markets associations caused delay in the trimly completion of the project.

He claimed that 90 percent work on the project had been completed, adding it would be inaugurated in the next few days.