Widen Amritsar's narrow lanes leading to Golden Temple: Visitors

Neeraj Bagga

Amritsar, March 30

Devotees have demanded widening of narrow lanes leading to the Golden Temple. They said the beautified Heritage Street was opened but some narrow lanes were ignored.

The flow of tourists to the Golden Temple, being a centre of attraction for tourists coming from across the world and country, remains strong throughout the day.

Besides, Jallianwala Bagh, the fountainhead of the freedom struggle, is also situated close to the Sikh shrine due to which tourists in a large number visit the place.

GS Bedi, who regularly pays obeisance at the Golden Temple, said two prominent routes inside the walled city to Harmandar Sahib were from the Hall Bazaar to Town Hall and another from the Shera Wala gate and both converge on the Heritage Street. Both roads were wider than the rest of inner city roads, leading to the Golden Temple. Of these two routes, Hall Bazaar to Town Hall is more used by visitors. Moreover, this route witnesses movement by cars, buses and trucks, carrying logistics of Guru Ram Das langar and other material for the Golden Temple. As a part of the beautification of the Heritage Street, less than two-foot high hydraulic pillars were installed and were opened in an emergency.

Hence, now there are only two ways to reach the Golden Temple by a four-wheeler. One way is from Gheo Mandi, one from Sultanwind Gate and another from Mahna Singh Chowk. All these roads are narrow. Gheo Mandi road is restricted for only three-wheelers. Other two roads are irregular in width and at places it goes down to below 20 feet.

One of these routes is used by all Shiromani Committee officials, cars, trucks, buses, MLAs and even tourists who are aware of its existence. Moreover, these routes command highly commercial value.

As a result, traffic jams are frequent. At several spots, nearly two-ft wide sewerage outflow could also be seen passing along and vehicles get stuck in the same.

Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar, MLA, said he held a meeting with officials of the Amritsar Improvement Trust over the matter and they assured that they would soon come out with a plan to cover the sewerage outflow and initiate other repair works on these roads.