Food Street comes to life on New Year’s Eve
People enjoy culinary delights at the Food Street in Saddar. PHOTO: EXPRESS
The residents of the garrison city got a befitting gift as the Rawalpindi administration revived the old food street in Saddar ahead of New Year celebrations on Thursday.
The street will be open to traffic in the day to allow business activities and after office timings, both the ends will be closed for the rest of evening transforming it into a place full of aroma of food, music and fun. Visitors will be asked to park their cars on the Bank Road to enter the pedestrian-only space.
An inauguration ceremony was organised by the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) before visitors swamped the open street adorned with colourful lights.
RCB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Umar Farooq shared that the project was envisioned by Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa, who initiated the process five years ago. He proudly stated that the board had finally restored the cultural landmark and made it even more beautiful.
He further mentioned that the area was cleared of encroachments to provide ample space for food stalls to be installed and for visitors to move around freely. He added that the stalls set up by various eateries offered local as well as international cuisine along with some delectable specialties.
The CEO assured that the administration has taken adequate steps to maintain the quality of food items being sold by the participating vendors. He also shared that special seating arrangements were made for families, primarily for the elderly and people with disabilities.
Farooq also commented that the board’s staff will make rounds to ensure observance of standard operating procedures (SOPs) devised to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease.
Several representatives of various trader associations were also present at the inaugural ceremony. Markazi Anjuman Tajran Cantonment General Secretary Zafar Qadri welcomed the rehabilitation of the food street.
He appreciated the arrangements made by the board to provide much-needed relaxation to the citizens out in the open air. He added that the prices at the various food stalls were below the usual market rate thereby making it more accessible for people from relatively lower income backgrounds.
A citizen enjoying the festivities with his family said that the security staff deployed was well-trained and professional in its dealing with the entering participants. “Usually when there are a lot of visitors, security personnel tend to get impatient as a result of which they misbehave with people but that was not the case,” he added.
The overall pleasant experience of visiting the Saddar Food Street was endorsed by another individual. “I am visiting my sister in Islamabad from Karachi over the holidays and I wanted to especially come here to enjoy ice-cream in the chilly weather,” she exclaimed.
She added that the administration deserve the praise directed towards them, adding that the food stalls were hygienic and the street itself was beautifully decorated. She hoped that the rehabilitation of the food street will add recreational options for the residents of the twin cities.
RCB CEO shared that the next beautification project in the pipeline is the ‘Shining Saddar’ along with mitigating pollution and unruly traffic in the area. He mentioned that parking lots will be constructed around the food street to better facilitate the locals.
Other RCB officials informed that encroachments were removed from the surrounding areas as part of the rehabilitation process, adding that special squads will be stationed round the clock to ensure against any further encroachment in the area.
Highlight: Special seating arrangements made for the elderly and people with disabilities
Published in The Express Tribune, January 1st, 2021.