Varanasi: Portions of over 32 of 41 buildings that had been demarcated were razed in Baulia Lehartara area on Thursday to clear land for the ongoing project of the six-lane Mohansarai-Cantt railway station road.Amid tight security, PWD team led by executive engineer K K Singh reached Baulia Lehartara area with a large number of earthmover machines, bulldozers, loaders and dumpers in the morning. Demarcated portions of buildings in both lanes were demolished.Under the Rs 410 crore project, work on the stretch from Mohansarai to Collectory Farm (Chandpur) is almost complete. Demarcated portions of 41 buildings in the area, especially at Baulia Lehartara, could not be removed by the PWD despite serving notices to building owners in 2025 as they had sought refuge at Allahabad High Court, staking their claim to the land.Regarding the project, divisional commissioner S Rajalingam said land on which the buildings exist in the Baulia Lehartara area is owned by PWD. But some building owners had taken shelter at the HC to challenge the notice they were served to vacate land, said officials, adding that HC had given time to the petitioners until PWD produced documents regarding ownership of the land.The commissioner said PWD submitted all required documents to the court, after which demolition work resumed so that the project was not delayed any further. It is being ensured PWD takes only such portion of the land, which can be used for road construction, ensuring safety measures, he added.Construction of this portion of the six-lane Mohansarai-Lehartara road is part of the Rs 410-crore project of six-lane conversion of the Mohansarai-Chakia crossing road in Chandauli district via Varanasi (Cantonment) railway station and DDU Nagar (Mughalsarai). As per details available with PWD, the project was sanctioned in 2021 and following all basic formalities completed by 2022, the project could start in 2023 when a no-objection certificate from the forest department was received.The project was divided into three parts. The first is Mohansarai to Lehartara, which is almost 75% complete and work on the stretch from Chowkaghat to Bhadauchungi was completed by ensuring optimum widening with available space. The part between Bhadauchungi and Padao has been included in railway’s project of a six-lane double-decker signature bridge across Ganga. Work on stretch from Padao to DDU Nagar is on the verge of completion.
