By Adithya Ambapurkar

1. JNAFAU SPA
Subject- Metropolitan and Regional
Planning
Topic- District and City plan of Varanasi
UP
Adithya A
17011BA001

2. Regional Planning
Aspects
Sustainabili
ty
Management of major
environmental inputs namely
water (both surface and
ground), minerals, maintenance
of green cover, protection of
sensitive environmental areas
and linking areas with special
opportunities for development
like religious, archaeological etc.
Balanced and equitable
spatial and economic
development of the
region
Effective Use of local
resources including
cultural resources such
as art &crafts.
Optimization of
regional multimodal
mobility and TOD.
Environme
nt
Control of pollution
specially water
pollution, use and
maintenance of the
water courses.
Maintenance of
green cover, forests
and eco fragile
areas.
Control and
regulation of
activities which
have impact on
environment.
Disaster
managem
ent
Promoting
balanced
development
Inclusivity

3. Various
settlements
in region
Counter
magnets
Satellite
towns
Priority
towns
Growth
centers/p
oints
Peri
urban
areas
Urban
Agglom
eration
Out
Growth
Spatial
Priority
Urban
Regions
(SPURs)
Importance & Need of Regional Plan
A city or any area might grow in size and hamper the development
of its surrounding area. Over the decades it starts competing with
the surrounding areas and this results in imbalance. It creates
economic as well as functional imbalance in areas.
Increases migration, decreases efficiency, results in undue waste of
resources and might also find it difficult to meet its needs. To
prevent such imbalance regional plans are very much required.
It helps in reducing disparities, promoting growth, promoting
sustainable development, economic growth of the collective region
based on its potential. Also, issue of migration is also solved to an
great extent because the required facilities are more evenly
distributed rather than being concentrated in a specific urban area.
These plans ensure a much better connectivity within the region and
take care of future growth.

5. GOALS, OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES & TARGETS
Aim: To develop Varanasi as a regional center for economic development
The objectives are:
• Understanding the concerns of sustainability for heritage cities.
• Assessment of status in terms of identification of issues sector wise.
• Formulation of strategy for identified issues.
Sector Wise Objectives
• City development and governance: To study the city profile, development
pattern & governance mechanism for Varanasi to attain sustainable
development.
• People and economy: To study the demographic & economic pattern of the
city.
• Environment: Assessing the current status of environmental resources, in
Varanasi with respect to human activities to help formulate guidelines and
policies to ensure qualitative improvement of environment & its
sustainability.
• Infrastructure: To provide healthy, livable; physical & social infrastructure
system to the city so as to improve the existing and future condition for
sustainable development.
• Mobility: To assess existing mobility & give proposals based on the
identified parameters of sustainable mobility.
• Heritage: To study, analyze Varanasi city to formulate strategies to develop
it into sustainable heritage city with sustainable tourism development.
Scope
• Scope would vary from municipal area boundary to
Planning area boundary
• Proposal pertaining to particulate aspect will go beyond
municipal area boundary.

8. Introduction to Varanasi district
 It is a tract of holy land lying between the rivers Varuna,
Ganges and Assi. According to Hindu mythology it is one
of the sacred places of pilgrimage in North India for
Hindus as well as Buddhists. The spiritual capital of India
has a rich cultural heritage.
 The land is very fertile because low level floods in the
Ganges continually replenish the soil. The fertile plain
offers rich harvest to the agro based industries to grow.
The skilled human resources have been preserving the rich
heritage in handloom, textile and handicraft industries.
 The link to the major highways acts as an impetus to the
supply chain management and with the advent of e-
commerce the major and allied textile and handloom
sectors are progressing in leaps and bound.
 It is an important tourist, heritage, commercial and
institutional center in the state
 Out of the 39 urban centers, three urban centers account
for 80% of the total district urban population. Varanasi
city accounts for 75% followed by Ramnagar with 3% and
Lohta with 2% of the total district urban population.
 Total area of dstrict- 1535 sq. km (Rural- 1371.2 sq. km
and urban- 163.8 sq. km)
 Its connectivity from Delhi boosts its tourism sector. Delhi being a
good trading hub is providing good connectivity and market for
selling the handloom manufactured products.
Introduction to Varanasi city
 Varanasi/Benares/Kashi, is a city on the banks of the river Ganga in
eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. The urban area of the city continued to
develop along the river southward and westward.
 The entire town runs parallel to river Ganga and it is this bountiful
location that makes Varanasi one of the oldest cities in the world to be
continuously inhabited by people.
 Mean elevation- 80.71m

9. Location and geographical areas
 The city is located in the middle Ganges valley along the
left crescent-shaped bank of the Ganges River. It has the
headquarters of Varanasi district.
 It is surrounded by Mirzapur district, Jaunpur district,
Ghazipur district and Chandauli district.
Roads and connectivity
 Road distance from major cities
Delhi-820 km
Lucknow-286 km
Allahabad- 122 km
 There are three
national highways
i.e. NH-2, NH-56
and NH-29 and four
state highways i.e.
SH-87, SH-73, SH-74
and SH-98 passing
through the heart of
the city. The Grand
trunk road or NH-2
forms the main
transportation spine
of the city.
 A bypass is being constructed along the Eastern edge of the city to
relieve the burden off NH-2. Another ring road is under
consideration along the Western edge of the city to divert the traffic
and provide better connectivity to the newer developments coming
up in the Trans Varuna Region.
Railways
 There are three rail lines entering to the city from Lucknow,
Bhadoi and Allahabad and is diverted in two lines to Gorakhpur
and Mughal Sarai.

10.  The city lies on Delhi-Kolkata rail
route of North Eastern Railways and
is broad gauge.
 A rail line connects the town with
Sarnath, located 13 Km north-east of
the city.
Airport
 The town also has an airport at a
distance of 24 km away from the city.
There are flights to Varanasi from
Agra, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Delhi,
Gorakhpur, Khajuraho, Lucknow,
Mumbai, Raipur and Kathmandu
(Nepal).
Topography, geology and hydrology
 The river system consists of the mighty Ganga and Gomti which are a perennial water source.
Rivers Varuna, Asi, Banganga, Chandra Prabha and Karmanasa are tributaries of the Ganga,
that drain the area. The Assi and Varuna rivers pass through the city and merge into river Ganga
 Varanasi is situated in the fertile alluvial Gangetic plains and is under laid with sediments
deposited in successive stages
 Many ponds like Benia, Maidagin and Macchodari and Godaulia Nala (rivulet) were drained
and replaced by parks or streets
 There are close to 88 kunds which
are an effective means of drainage
in the city. Due to encroachment
and climatic change several kunds
have dried up.
 Water body and others- 3% of the
total area (273.5 Ha)
Climate
 Varanasi experiences a humid
subtropical climate
 Summers- 22 TO 46 C. Hot dry
winds, called loo, blow in the
summers.
 Cold waves from the Himalayan
region cause temperatures to dip
across the city in the winter from
December to February and
temperatures below 5 °C are not
uncommon.
 Average annual rainfall- 1,110 mm
(44 in)

11.  In recent years, the water level of the Ganges has
decreased significantly; upstream dams,
unregulated water extraction, and dwindling glacial
sources due to global warming may be to blame
 The climatic conditions are most favorable for the
tourists between October to April particularly the
spring season.
Minerals
 In 2011, close to 393 tons of sand was produced
from the district.
Forest resources
 As per the Uttar Pradesh ENVIS Centre under the Ministry of
Environment and Forests, the total forest cover (assessed through
satellite imagery) across Uttar Pradesh is 13,746 km2 and across
Varanasi district 12 km2
Administrative Profile of district
 Three main tehsil- Varanasi, Pindra and Rajatalab.
Varanasi tehsil- 415 sq. km (27.4%)
Rajatalab tehsil- 415 sq. km (27.4%)
Pindra tehsil- 705 sq. km (45.93%)
 Blocks- 8
3 blocks are in Varanasi tehsil, they are Chiraigaon, Cholapur, Kashi
Vidyapeeth & partially Harahua
2 blocks in Rajatalab tehsil namely Sewapuri, Arajiline & partially Kashi
Vidyapeeth
3 blocks are in Pindra tehsil namely Baragaon, Pindra and partially Harahua
 Assembly Area- 8 (Pindra, Shivpur, Rohaniya, Varanasi North, Varanasi
South, Varanasi Cantt., Sevapuri and Ajagara)
Revenue villages – 1327
Inhabited villages- 1289
Non inhabited villages- 38
Nagar Panchayat- 108
Gram panchayat- 702

12. Population density in the city
Population density in the district
Population density- 2,395 persons per sq.km (state average 829
persons per sq. km)
Average household size
District- 6.6 persons
Statutory towns- 5
Census towns- 34
Demography
 It is the eighteenth-largest district in the state in terms of
population and holds the sixth position in terms of urban
population in the state.

13. Age Sex Pyramid
Language
 Hindi speaking-
80% of the
population
 Urdu- 19% of the
population.
Households in the district
 560,162 accounting for 1.7
percent of the total households
in the state
 Decadal growth rate of
population in the district
17.1% (state average of 20.2
percent)
Historical
population
of
district

15. Industrial Profile

16. Working Population of district
Total working population- 12, 20,708
Working male- 921,234
Working female- 299,474
(33.20 percent of the total working population of the district)
Main workers- 920,761
Marginal workers- 299,947
Total number of women in the marginal workforce- 129541

17. .
Work force participation rate of city
Primary sector
Agriculture and Horticulture
 Sown area- 95700 hectare (62123 hectares are sown more than
once)
 Kharif crops- bajra, jowar, maize, rice, sannhamp, sugarcane, sweet
potato and urad
 Rabi crops- maize coriander and barley
 Summer crops- maize, moong, onion and urad
 Marigold flower is widely grown in the region, which is used in the
religious offerings
 Varanasi is famous for the production of Mangoes (Langra Variety)
in very large quantity.
 The region is also famous for the Banarasi paan leaf (betel leaf)
and khoa that is the milk product.
 Agricultural activities- 231.92 hectares in the city.
 Around 4% of the population is involved in agricultural activities
in the city.
Recommendations
 Render treatment to increase the productivity of small size
landholdings. In order to double farmer’s income, the cost of
cultivation has to be reduced and production and productivity
needs to be increased. This can be assured of through Soil Health
schemes.

18.  Provisioning of irrigation facility in zaid season (March
to June): In the spells of deficit rain the formation of
water user groups in 4 hectare area is ideal. Such a
command area along with shallow tube wells can serve
the purpose of irrigation.
 Introduction of new technology and training programs to
the farmers: The program should orient the farmers to
sow the seeds in line and avoid broadcasting method. The
crop management strategies post-harvest and balanced
usage of fertilizer should also be undertaken.
 Most of the farmers in the region have small landholding
of around 0.3 hectares. These small landholding support
crop diversification in the region with contiguous
farming in large clusters to realize economies of scale
 The agriculture landholdings at Varanasi is generally
small belonging to marginal farmers, however the lands
support diversification. The seed replacement rate of 41
% also supports productivity. There exist a large potential
to bring more than 50000ha of land under Zaid crop.
There is a demand for marigold flowers too which are
widely grown across the river banks. In the spells of
deficit the flowers are imported from Bengal
Fishing
Community ponds- 897
Total area- 568 hectares. .
 The community fishing is dominant. The private sector representation
in the fishery sector is negligible in the region.
 The culture system named Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS) is
becoming more popular in the region and the practice of natural
riverine fisheries is declining
Recommendations
 Tapping of the water resources through community mobilization:
Identification and locating of the 80 community leased ponds where no
fisheries practice is done.
 Introduction of a private player who can induce the fishing community
to the best practices
 Promote RAS technology to lower dependence on import and conserve
water: This will improve production with less water utilization.
 Check for agriculture practices suitable with fishing so as to make a
co-operative self sustaining model: Terrace farming along the slope of
the pond. The feed for the fish if it can be obtained through local
farming practice will make the model sustainable.
 Prevent ruckus from nuisance creating investment group in production
stage
 Inter-departmental exchange program especially agriculture and
fisheries.

19.  Fisheries sector is hit badly by the lack of entrepreneurship in the
region despite of the prevalence of the huge untapped community
pond resources. There are 80 unleased community ponds which can
be brought under fisheries. This can do away with the daily import
regime of 4 tons. The Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS)
which are total eight in the region also has tremendous potential to
increase productivity with less water utilization
Livestock and dairy
 Cows and buffaloes- 1.5 lakhs
 Amul and Parag are coming forth with their units in the region.
Recommendations
 Formulation of strategies to improve the performance of the local
dairy: Parag has been operating at less than 10 % of its capacity and
this trend has been going on for the past three years. The issue can be
addressed with Strategic marketing or by partnering with the other
regional players who wish to carry out their operations in the plants.
 Steps to meet poultry demand indigenously: It has been found that
the production through poultry is only 25% of total demand and the
rest 75% comes from Punjab and South India. Cooperative farming
model across the peripheral villages can serve this issue where ample
land is not present. This will also cater to the high prices of the husk.
 Financial support to the Veterinary Department: The
veterinary department is struggling with the shortage of
manpower especially doctors, veterinary pharmacists, and
petty staff. The department is short of budget to procure
medicines and maintenance of the hospital building.
 In order to reduce the prices of milk by lowering the cost
of production, the concept of Milk to ATM should be
adopted in the region.
 For the well-being of foreign cows, cold shelters should be
set up.
 NGO’s should be encouraged to collect urine and cow
dungs for medicinal and other purposes.
 The total population of cows and buffaloes is around 1.5
lakhs in the ratio of 2:3. The yield at a time is 3.5 and 6
litres respectively. The yield through them is not able to
cater to the needs of the region. The supply is met through
the depot of Amul at Kanpur and Lucknow. Amul is also
coming up with its pocket in the region. The regime is
same in the poultry as well the 8 poultry units of 10
thousand birds and 1 poultry unit of 30 thousand bird are
not able to meet the needs. The deficit requirement is met
through import of eggs.

20. Secondary sectors
Manufacturing
 Manufacturing is one of the important components giving
employment to both organized and unorganized workforce.
 Large scale private and public sector undertakings- 9
 Micro and small enterprises: cotton textile, woolen and silk,
readymade garments and embroidery, wooden based
furniture, chemical based units and repairing and servicing
are the major contributors.
 According to the MSME profile, there are 6 medium scale
enterprises, which include beverages, oil mills, agro processing and
woolen yarn.
 There are around 15 clusters categorized by the Ministry of MSME.
There are also eight GIs found in the region and their manufacturing
gives employment to a lot of artisans and weaver from the
unorganized sector.
 The Indian Railways diesel locomotive factory contributes to the
local economy.
 BHEL, a large power equipment manufacturer, also runs a plant here.
Electricity gas and water supply
 The electricity is supplied by Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam
Limited and the water is supplied by Jalkal vibhag.
 The major projects proposed by the water department (Jal Kal) is
laying of 466 km distribution system and supply and installation of
two lakh water meters.
Construction
 Increase in the proportion of workers was about 11 percentage points
for rural males, 6 percentage points for rural females, 7 percentage
points for urban males and 2 percentage points for urban females

21. Tertiary Sector
 Services sector- coaching centers, hotel industries, travel,
repair works, embroidery are some major promising sectors.
 Transport and real estate are the primary contributors. Retail
trading and commercial activities and other services together
employ nearly 45% of the workers.
 From the year 2012-13 to 2015-16, the contribution of the
transport, storage and communication has declined to 29.84 %
from 31.31 % whereas the real estate declined from 27.21 %
to 22.23 %. The financial services contribution also declined
to 10.53% in 2015-16 from 11.17% in 2012-13.
 There is some growth observed in the contribution of Trade, Hotel
and restaurant which increased from 9.11 % in 2012-13 to 9.60 in
2015-16
 Tourist facilities are provided by several people such as guiders, tour
operators, religious pundits, boatmen giving boat rides to tourists, etc.
 Hotels- 600. In the urban areas, proportion of male workers engaged
in ‘trade, hotel and restaurant’ increased by about 4 percentage points
and proportion of female workers engaged in ‘other services’ sector
increased by 14 percentage points
Transport, storage and communication
 The transport for the local travel comprises of the buses of the
Varanasi City Transport Service Ltd, auto-rickshaws, OLA cabs and
cabs of the other tour operators.
 OLA cabs has been operating in Varanasi for the past four years and
there are around four thousand cars in their fleet.
Financial service providers- 190
Real estate
Under construction- 295
Ready to move- 733
Put under resale- 908
New booking- 110

22. Silk Products
 Varanasi accounts for 60% of the total production of silk woven
products in India. The silk weaving industry is able to cater to the
needs of the domestic as well as the international market
 The silk products, one of the GIs of Varanasi gives huge employment
opportunity to a large number of weaver’s group from the
unorganized sector. The exquisite silk sarees and fabrics showcase
the skilled workmanship and rich cultural heritage. At present, there
are 15000 handlooms and 10,000 power looms working on silk in
Varanasi cluster. It is estimated that around 3500-4000 MT of raw
silk is consumed by the Varanasi cluster at present and there is a gap
between the demand and supply of quality raw silk.
Recommendations
 Strategic action to curb the dominance of Chinese silk: Efforts to
identify or manufacture the indigenous alternative that can serve the
utility of Chinese yarn or find out the ways through R&D or alternate
supply chain to lower down the dependence on Chinese yarn.
 Identification of the alternate supplier groups or building capacity of
existing supplier group to bridge the demand and supply gap in
power looms
 Orientation and acquaintance of weaver’s group and society towards
the best business practice

23.  Facilitation through Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV):
There are three silk clusters operating in Varanasi.
Steps should be taken to ensure facilitation to the
existing and proposed SPVs. Likewise and existing
SPV with ample stakes can be supported to update
itself into a Common Facilitation Centre (CFC).
 Consumer Education pertaining to handloom and
silk mark need to be campaigned, especially to
tourists: The trade facilitation center can serve as an
ideal venue for the direct interactive session.
 Shortage of trained labor: The silk industry faces
huge shortage of skilled labor.
 Marketing Infrastructure: The silk industry is
constrained by the absence of quality
convention/exhibition centers
 No industrial park for silk industry: There is a dire
need to develop a designated silk park with all
ancillary facilities to promote the silk industry. It
will reduce the cost of production as there will be
improved access to common facilities.
 The silk weaving industries require better power
facilities. The power shortages results in lower
production and forcing the workers to opt for other
professions.
Glass Beads
 The major recommendation in the glass beads sector is the formulation of
strategy to do away with the Chinese dominance as a supplier. The Chinese
influence is not only limited to the supply of finished products but also as a
service provider of the quality finished products to the former client base of
Banaras beads.
 Glass beads sector in Varanasi has a huge export regime of Rs 75 crore. The
business is primarily done in USA, Europe and Africa. The glass beads sector
is led by Banaras Beads Limited, which is an Export house recognized by
Government of India, established in the year 1940. The company has
approximately 500 employees & it is a Public Limited company having more
than 6000 shareholders. It is listed in leading stock exchange of India
BSE&NSE
Tourism
 Identification of the tour operators rendering inferior services
 Campaigning about the places of Heritage and GIs found in the region: This
can be done through signages at the important places of transit. The signages
must ensure that the associated location of the places of cultural heritage is
geo-tagged along with the trail.
 Transformation of Trade Facilitation Centre into a Fund raising model: The
trade facilitation center is a place where all the handicrafts of Varanasi are put
in display. The Trade Facilitation Centre can make efforts to exhibit the
contacts of the dealers of the respective products in display. The joint
intervention of Department of Handicraft and Tourism is required to realize it.

24.  Acquainting tourists about the timings and route so as to avoid
congestion: A description about the best timing and mode to
visit a place to avoid congestion can be updated on the tourism
signages at the major places of transit. The digitally geo-tagged
cultural location should also give real time updates pertaining
to traffic movement and congestion around the place.
 Ease of doing business: A single window clearance system
preferably placed at trade facilitation center can serve the
purpose. More companies need to be encouraged to come up
with a unit at TFC.
 Decongestion through infrastructure across the major place of
transit: Due to increasing tourist influx, expansion of the
Babatpur airport is the need of the hour. The accessibility to the
airport should be ensured according to the arrival and departure
of the flights in operations
 The location of Varanasi in close proximity to Buddhist circuit
and itself a place of cultural heritage makes it an important
tourist destination. The tourist influx in the region is growing at
a rate of more than 4 percent per year. This growth often is
turning into a formidable challenge against the carrying
capacity of the region.
Carving on wood and stone
 Proactive support from DIC and CSIR to meet the export
testing needs: This will ensure the growth in the export regime
 Forest Department’s role would ensure more supply through
auction of the desired kind of wood, especially “Koraiya” wood.
 The traditional economic activity of stone carving gives
employment to around 1800 artisans. The 800 functional units
makes an annual turnover of Rs 3.75 crore and export goods
worth Rs 1 crore. The wood carving gives employment to more
than 5000 artisans of the region.
Metal Repoisse
 Identification of factors leading to decline in quality of colors
 Improvement of workers health: The scope under Ayushman
scheme need to be ascertained.
 The most popular form of metal repoisse is Gulabi Meenakari. It
is one of the GI at Varanasi. The sectors give employment to
around 200 workers and the annual turnover made from the
product is around 10 crores.
Textile
 The facilitation under SPV in the high tech silk cluster will assist
in the further growth of the polyester weaving and readymade
garments. The efforts to explore new markets should also be
undertaken

25.  The nylon and polyester fabric supplier in the region is Reliance.
The yarn is obtained from Gujarat and thereby it is circulated in the
local market. There are yarn distributors found in Chowka-ghats and
other part of the city. The polyester work is done on power-looms
particularly at the High tech silk cluster at Umrai Faizer Marg. Thus
they have potential for long term growth.
 The major business group operating in the regions are Aravind
Textile and Dreamland creations. There are showrooms of brand like
Pantaloons, Globus and Max as well. The most impactful business
player among them is Aravind which is based in Ahmedabad. The
Aravind textile does not only have a market in India but it also have
export regimes as well. Thus they have potential for long term
growth
Market Yards
 There are two warehouses . One is in village Ramna, which is just
outside the city limits on the north eastern border and situated on
National Highway 2. The other warehouse is owned and controlled
by Food Corporation of India and located near DLW.
 Four new ware houses have been proposed in the draft Varanasi
Master Plan, 2031. They are proposed on the new 45 m wide ring
road in village Samo, Varanasi-Ghazipur road in village Sandha,
Varanasi-Badhohi marg in village Vitthalpur and Panchkroshi marg
in village Hollapur.
Public Administration
 Varanasi division consists of four districts namely-
Varanasi, Jaunpur, Gazipur and Chandauli, and is headed
by the Divisional Commissioner of Varanasi.
 The Commissioner is the head of local government
institutions in the division. He is in charge of
infrastructure development in his division; and is also
responsible for maintaining law and order in the division.
Varanasi district administration is headed by the District
Magistrate of Varanasi.
 Sub-divisions- 3. Each sub-division headed by a Sub
Divisional Magistrate.
Police Administration
 Varanasi district comes under the Varanasi Police Zone
and Varanasi Police Range. Varanasi Zone is headed by
an Additional Director General (ADG), and the Varanasi
Range is headed by Inspector General (IG).
 The district police is headed by a Senior Superintendent
of Police (SSP). Each of the several police circles is
headed by a Circle Officer (CO) in the rank of Deputy
Superintendent of Police

26. Physical planning and growth management
Land Rates
The approximate
average range of
residential flats
today across the
city is at Rs 2,600
to Rs 6,000 per
sq ft. There are
high-end options
available in
different pockets
of the city starting
from Rs 8,000 per
sq ft.
 Land is rarely
available within
the city but are
available aplenty outside the city. The land in some areas is as low as
Rs 500 to Rs 600 per sq ft.
 The average land cost in the city is in the range of Rs 1,200 to Rs
2,000 per sq ft. In several high demand and fast developing areas
the asking rate has shot up in the range of Rs 2,500-Rs 3,000 per sq
ft.
Social Infrastructure
Health infrastructure

27. Issues in health
 Lack of para-medical staff in hospitals, which leads to poor
working condition for the doctors.
 Inadequate primary and tertiary healthcare facilities, leads to
overcrowding at tertiary/super specialty hospitals.
 Facilities such as X-rays, dialysis units, MRI etc. lacking in
hospitals, hence public have to go to private practices to avail the
service.
Issues in education
 Lack of basic facilities such as drinking water and sanitation in
some schools.
 Detailed blood examination facilities not available in many
hospitals.
Education
 Famous Education Universities- Banaras Hindu University,
Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi
Vidyapeeth Central University for Tibetan Studies

28.  There is a shortage of land for existing and
constructing new schools
Fire services
 There are two permanent and one temporary fire
station in Varanasi.
 The fire stations are located in– Chet Gunj, Bhulupur,
Kashivishwanath Temple (temporary)
 The city has 11 functioning motor fire engines and 6
small tenders.
 To reduce the response time, three more fire stations
are planned in Sarnath, Mohan Sarai and Bada Village.
Issues in fire services
 Shortage of land for new fire stations. The land is to be
made available by the district administration.
 As many parts of the city have narrow lanes, fire
brigades cannot reach those areas.
 City can lay new fire hydrant lines in old areas which
could be used in case of disaster.
Recreation facilities
Sports
 Sports facilities are mainly made available in schools to students. Some
indoor sports are available in cafes and private places.
 Varanasi has two clubs .i.e Prabhu Narayan Union Club and The Benares
Club Ltd., access to which is limited to club members.
 The draft Master Plan, 2031 has proposed developing three sports stadiums
on the outskirts of the city on Azamgarh Marg in village Baniapur, Badohi
Rail Marg in village Lakhimpur and Badohi Marg in village Ghatripur.
 There is a stadium in Sigra and a mini-stadium in Shivpur. The stadiums
house facilities for sports like athletics, swimming and volley ball. .
 A water park is located off the main Allahabad-Varanasi highway near the
main access road leading to Varanasi.
Malls and parks
 There are four malls and many other commercial centers in Varanasi. The
malls house retail stores, restaurants, food courts and cinema theatre.
 There are many parks in Varanasi. Some of the main parks are - Machodari
Park, Dumraubagh Park, Nehru Park, Shahid Udyan, Rose Garden, Shivala
Park and Ravidas Park. Community and smaller parks needs to be
lookover as they are not in good conditions.
Museum

29.  Sarnath Museum is the oldest site museum of Archaeological
Survey of India. It houses the findings and excavations at the
archaeological site of Sarnath. The museum has 6,832 sculptures
and artifacts.
 Bharat Kala Bhavan is a roomy museum with a wonderful collection
of miniature paintings, as well as 12th-century palm-leaf
manuscripts, sculptures and local history displays.
Issues in recreation
 Sports facilities are grossly lacking across the city.

30. Physical Infrastructure/Services
Water supply source
 The water demand of 276 MLD for the city is met by the surface
flow of Ganga River and the underground sources.
 Currently, 205 MLD of underground water is being tapped
through 226 tube wells and 125 MLD through surface water. A
total of 330 MLD water is tapped, which is 275 LPCD.
 There is a water storage provision of 80 MLD. The water is
stored in 23 Over-Head Tank (OHT) and Underground
Reservoirs (UGRs). It is only 58% of the daily demand of 276
MLD in two fillings. The present storage capacity is insufficient
to take care of the present as well as the future demand of the
city.
Water treatment
 The surface water from Ganga River is treated by coagulation,
sedimentation, filtration and disinfection and then supplied. The
entire 330 MLD of water is treated before supplying
Water supply
Existing scenario
 Varanasi is divided into two distinct areas: cis-Varuna and trans-
Varuna . For the purpose of water supply, the city is divided into
16 water supply zones, of which 5 zones lie in the trans-Varuna
area and the remaining 11 lie in the cis-Varuna area.

32. Institutional framework for water supply system
 Jal Ka under VMC operates and maintains the water supply system of
Varanasi, and Jal Nigam is responsible for planning, procurement, and
project implementation. Jal Kal is also responsible for billing and
collection of user charges.

33. Issues of water
 Some of the distribution lines are as old as 100 years and are
deep down in the ground; these are difficult to maintain and
need to be replaced.
 Jal Kal, which was earlier an independent body, is now a part
of VMC, thus institutional level issues need to be addressed
Sewerage and sanitation
Existing system
 The existing city's sewerage system was designed
exclusively to carry domestic sewage only
 Due to combined system, the STPs‟ become ineffective
during rainy season leading to more pollution of River
Ganga and Varuna. Apart from that the areas, which are not
served by the sewer network, discharge the sewage directly
into River Ganga, Varuna or Assi Nalla, polluting the rivers.
Sewerage generation
 Total sewage generated in the city is 225 MLD of which only
97 MLD is treated in Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and
the remaining 130 MLD is directly discharged into River
Ganga and Varuna through open drains.
Sewerage network and collection system
 The existing system is partly over ground and underground. Just over
30% of the city is covered with sewerage network, which means that
the remaining households are either connected through septic tanks,
pits, or service latrines or do not have access to toilets.
 18% of the total households do not have access to independent,
shared, or community toilets. The trans-Varuna area is completely
without sewerage.
 Due to presence of silt and garbage in the sewer lines, the carrying
capacity gets drastically reduced resulting in choking and the
overflowing of sewage on the roads.
 The natural water bodies and the river Ganges in the city are in a
critical state due to the quantum of untreated sewage and waste
entering the rivers on a daily basis.
 Inadequate provision for common effluent treatment plant: Since the
dying units exits in residential premises within the city the various
chemicals generated are discharged through drains, leading to water
pollution.

36. Institutional arrangement
 Jal Kal is responsible for the operations and maintenance of the
sewerage network, while Jal Nigam is engaged in the planning,
designing, and construction of the sewerage system
Solid waste management
Street sweeping
 VMC employs 2,800 permanent and contractual employees for
street sweeping.

37. Institutional framework for SWM
 Out of 3200 sanctioned sanitary workers only 2800 are employed.
There are a total of 140 sanctioned posts of sanitary supervisors and
number of vacant posts is 55.
 VMC does not have a specific department dedicated for
environmental management

38. Issues in swm
 All the service-level indicators are poor which indicates that the
service delivery is not as per the benchmark. Waste is not
scientifically treated and being dumped into dumping sites
 VMC is not collecting user charges in spite of an order passed in
this regard.
 An unaccounted amount of garbage consisting of flowers, pooja
items and idol is being immersed into the rivers, which is a
pressing issue. Human ashes that are brought to the ghats do not
have any determined disposal methods
 Industrial waste in Varanasi city: The waste generated by
industries is thrown in open grounds. This leads to unhygienic
conditions and environmental degradation of the surroundings.
Storm water drains
Existing system
 Storm water is drained off through a very old and incomplete
underground and kachcha open drainage system. The
underground drainage network is only 117 km long.
 The open drains are unlined and carry the grey water discharged
from the settlements along their path which contaminate the
ground water owing to the porous nature of alluvium.
 The drains and nallahs of the city are prone to chocking owing
to the unregulated solid waste dumping by the citizens. This
leads to stagnant puddles of water, which lead to health hazards,
unhygienic conditions and act as breeding grounds for
mosquitoes.
Operations and maintenance of storm water drains
 There is virtually no operation and maintenance of storm water
drains in the city. Whenever there is large scale flooding, the
clogged drains are taken up for basic maintenance by the VMC.

39. Issues in storm
 The existing drainage network is grossly inadequate.
 Urbanization has reduced the natural drainage capacity of the
various water bodies in the city.
 As the drains are connected to branch sewer lines, it puts strain on
the STPs during the monsoon season
Traffic and transportation
Road hierarchy
 Out of total length of the roads, the VMC maintains approximately
70% roads, which are internal arterial roads & narrow streets in the
old town.
 Two ring roads are proposed:
a. Inner Ring Road – The project is being implemented by PWD. The
bridge on river Ganga is being constructed. This project was expected
to get complete by December 2014.
b. Outer Ring Road – The project is being implemented by NHAI.
The existing road is 2 lanes. Land is being acquired by NHAI for
widening it to 4 lanes. The road will start from Kachua on NH2 and
intersect Lucknow, Azamgarh and Ghazipur highways.

40. Intermediate public transport
 Limited route and irregular service delivery of public transport leads the
intermediate public transport .i.e. autos (for longer distances) and cycle rickshaws
(for small distances) act as the most prominent means of transport for general trips
which are not dependent on the private vehicles.
 Battery operated vehicles are also operating in the city at certain routes. These
battery operated vehicles carry 5-6 passengers on sharing basis, in a single trip.
 City should explore ways in which the conflict of slow and fast moving traffic is
minimized.
 The auto rickshaws could be regularized and should have dedicated parking
spaces (Auto stands) so that when parked they don't block the right of way for the
moving traffic.
Non Motorized Transport
 Non Motorized Transport in Varanasi city comprises of modes like bicycle, cycle-
rickshaws, tricycle trolleys and pedestrians.
 The old city and adjoining areas have a compact urban form and shorter travel
distances so walking, cycling could prove to be economical and sustainable form
of transport.
 NMT like bicycles and cycle rickshaws have been a major mode of travel in these
areas hence a policy to safeguard their interest should be formulated.
Public Transport
 Under JNNURM, VMC procured 130 buses and
ferrying close to 20,500 passengers per day.
VMC handed over the buses to Uttar Pradesh
State Road Transport Corporation.
 The buses are plying from Kashi Depot and
Gramin Depot. Most of the routes are in the
peripheral areas of Varanasi, as the buses cannot
ply in more dense parts of the city.
 In 2013, the average revenue per Km was Rs.
22 and average expenditure per Km was Rs. 25.
 The system is planned to serve 44 routes but at
present 2 routes are shut down hence 42 routes
are plying. The fleet of buses consists of 57 full
size buses and 70 small sized buses
Present inefficiency in the public
transport system
 The Right of Way is limited which is shared by
the slow and fast moving traffic. There are no
segregated lanes. Mixed traffic further
decreases the average speed of the moving
vehicles and hence leading to the inefficiency in
the public transport system.

41.  The junctions don't have a proper turning radius and if there is, they are
many times encroached. This limits the approach and extension of the
public transport routes through certain areas.
 The buses though are running on defined routes but their frequency is not
regular, their headway count varies depending upon the time of the day.
 To compete with the existing situation city can explore the option of small
buses with capacity of 20-25 passengers. This will fetch the ridership in
very less time and their small size will enable them to move in the old city
more easily. There is even option of battery operated mini buses which the
city can explore.
Parking Issues in the City
In Core City Areas
 Conflict in movement of traffic arises due to the narrow carriage way and
by lanes where freight movement is observed even during the peak hours.
 Lack of access to public transport and last mile connectivity is an issue.
 There are no nodal points for the intermediate para transit parking and
operations. Lack of parking for non motorized vehicles and security of
vehicles.
 There is conflict for the big size vehicles like buses which have no parking
space near tourist centric areas.
Central City Area
 Lack of formal on street parking and off street parking
vehicles park as per the available space on the road.
 Enforcement bylaws with respect to parking is
negligible.
 In case of tall/high occupancy buildings provision of
underground/stilt parking is absent and directly eating
into the neighboring on street parking spaces.
 No space available in front of the Bus Stops for the
buses to stop and boarding & alighting of the
passengers.
Peripheral Areas
 Though the contract for parking is awarded for a
designated space by the corporation but the parking
charges are collected far beyond the specified parking
area.
 The parking charges are not regularized and vary from
area to area in the city. Parking signage and on street
marking for parking areas is absent.
Policy guidelines on Parking as per National
Urban Transport Policy (NUTP)
 The parking fee should reflect the value of the land
that is occupied.

42.  Public transport vehicles and non motorized modes of transport
should be given preference in the parking space allocation.
This along with easier access of work places to and from such
parking spaces can encourage the use of sustainable transport
systems.
 Park and ride facilities for bicycle users with convenient
interchange are a useful measure.
 The policy suggests that multilevel parking complexes should
be made a mandatory requirement in city centers that have
several high-rise commercial complexes and these can come up
through public-private partnerships.
Issues of street lighting
 The number of streetlights per km of roads length is low .i.e.
50 m compared to benchmark of 30 m.
 The condition of the existing streetlights is also not good. Many
poles need to be replaced
 No energy efficiency street lighting options have been explored

43. Housing and urban poverty

46. Urban Environment and Disaster Management

47. Climate change and sustainable development

48. Cultural resources, heritage and tourism

49. Assessment of institutions, systems and capacities

50. Municipal finances

54. Strengths
The core of the city
houses the
population that is
part of the urban
fabric of the city
The old city is
a compact
city. Its
strength lies
in its
demarcated
area with a
dynamic set
of activities
and buildings
that attract
people from
far and wide
Weaving industry
is a major
contributor to
local economy
A perennial
water source in
River Ganga so
availability of
water will never
be a problem
Tremendous
amount of
heritage
treasures
Weakness
Old city of Varanasi has
very cramped spaces.
The streets of this city
are just wide enough for
two people to walk
shoulder to shoulder.
There is immense
pressure from tourism,
economic development
and population on the
ghat area
Lack of support
infrastructure
such as quality
roads for better
access and
facilities for
tourists-rest
rooms, toilets,
hotels, etc.
Infrastructu
re services
are poor
such as high
water
losses, poor
coverage of
toilets, and
absence of
door to
door waste
collection
Lack of
coordination
while
planning and
initiating
development
work among
authorities
Opportunities
Population growth in
old city has saturated
and the growth of
population is
decelerating
Not only assured water
supply for several decades,
appropriate measures such
as conservation and rain
water harvesting can
recharge the ground water as
well
Threats
Social hygiene and
sanitation methods too
are beginning to bend
under the pressure of a
growing resident
population and a constant
large floating population
This increasing population is over
burdening the carrying capacity
of the urban environment and the
river ecosystem and unplanned
mass tourism could potentially
have a hard impact on the
cultural carrying capacity of the
old city center
Non availability of toilets and
prevalence of open defecation
and open urination makes the city
a big toilet. There are bad smells
at every nook and corner. This
creates a bad environment that is
disliked by both the residents and
the tourists.
SWOT Analysis

55. References
URDPFI Guidelines Volume 1
Planning tank
https://planningtank.com/regional-planning/regional-planning
District Development plan Varanasi
https://eaindustry.nic.in/ddp/Varanasi_DDP_Report_Final.pdf
City development plan Varanasi
https://www.nnvns.org/data/Final%20CDP%20Varanasi.pdf