Food Street making a comeback

City govt chooses Fort Road as ‘perfect venue’ rich in culture.

LAHORE: Lahoris are likely to get their food street back. According to the DCO Ahad Cheema, the new Food Street near Fort Road will hopefully be inaugurated within three months.

Fort Road is situated near the Roshnai Gate. The neighbourhood has several historical landmarks including the Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque and Tibbi Gali (the city’s Red Light Area).

While talking to The Express Tribune  the DCO said that the project was in its planning phase. “The city government realised that the closure of the Gowalmandi Food Street in 2009 had disappointed the public. A new food street was evidently needed,” Cheema said. When asked about the location selected by the city government, he declared Fort Road the “perfect venue, which is rich in culture”.

The DCO said that he did not see any problems or objections to the location, which many consider sleazy because of the neighbourhood, particularly the Red Light Area, “No such activities take place in that are now. The Food Street will create jobs in that neighbourhood,” Cheema stated.

As many as 27 buildings around the Roshnai Gate will be part of the Food Street, located on an off shoot of the main Fort Road.

According to Cheema, the street will not have any entry or exit gates.

After a plan is finalised, a committee headed by the DCO and including three to four people who own the buildings located on the chosen street and some City District Government of Lahore officials will decide how the Food Street will operate.

Afterwards, an agreement will be signed with all the building owners involved. A senior official from LESCO will also be part of the committee to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the Food Street either from a nearby grid station or through generators.

Parks and Horticultural Authority (PHA) will be responsible for developing the green belts and installing electric poles and decorative lights not just in the street but also at Badshahi Mosque and the Lahore Fort.

Ravi Town Municipal Officer (TMO) Ahamd Kamal told the Tribune that there won’t be any parking problems at the new location “since enough parking space is available along the Lahore Fort”. He added that special buggies (horse carriages) will take visitors from the parking area to the Food Street. Kamal said that the town administration would ensure that there are no encroachments.

Mahmood Ali, a man who owns a building on the proposed street, dismissed the project as one that would not benefit the locals. “Most of the buildings in the area are owned by multinationals or people who are very close to the Punjab government. If the government is really interested in generating revenue then Tehseel Bazaar should also be included in the Food Street,” Ali said.

A resident of the area, Awais Shah, had another suggestion for the city government. “The real culture exists inside the streets of old city. There are eight community spaces from the Dental College to Ali Park. They should be restored and decorated with lights. They are sure to attract interest,” Shah said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2011.