Hyderabad: The DLF road in Gachibowli, known for its vibrant food stalls and haywire traffic, remains closed due to road widening works.
The GHMC officials have planned to relocate a few popular food stall in order to reduce traffic movement on the 1 kilometer long stretch. While some people feel it is a major change with the stalls being relocated, others view it as a welcome break from “unhealthy” food.
Some shopkeepers on the opposite side of the DLF building say that the officials have visited the street several times and measured the distance from the street to their shops. However, the shopkeepers seem to be unfazed by the activity.
Arshad, a paan shop owner said, “The GHMC officials have been inspecting the street for quite some time. The last time they measured from the median till about 10 feet away from my shop. So hopefully I won’t have to relocate.”
Mohammed Javed, a tea stall owner on the same side, said, “I don’t think we will have to relocate since most of the work is happening near gate one.”
Just outside gate number 1 of the DLF building, there are approximately 35 stalls, some of which have been asked to relocate. The renovation is underway, which is evident from the construction material placed there, along with a few discarded boards from the stalls.
“Moving from gate 1 to another place is a challenge for me, but I have to put up with it since this stall is my source of income,” Venkat, a frankie stall owner, told Siasat.com.
Santosh, a juice vendor, said, “The GHMC has been inspecting the area for quite sometime. I have seen a few vendors along gate one vacate their spots. Hence I am also moving to a safer place for better business.”
The visitors, most of whom work at MNCs, share their views on the development. Shekar, a software engineer, said, “It’s not a temporary closure, they are moving them to Hitech City near ITC Kohenur.”
Suryakanth, a regular visitor to the food street said, “It’s time for people to cleanse their gut.” Ajit, an IT professional said, “People will be healthy for a while, those who keep visiting these stalls in their 20s will end up with diabetes and cholesterol by the time they turn 30.”
A traffic police officials said, “Most of the street is occupied by visitors and vendors. This makes it difficult for people to travel from Lingampally, Kondapur, BHEL and other areas.”
