Hyderabad: Begum Bazar traffic worsens as road repair works drag on

Begum Bazar, Telangana’s largest commodities hub, is reeling under heavy traffic congestion as road repair works continue. Traders and commuters face daily inconvenience, urging GHMC to complete the project quickly in the city’s historic 400-year-old marketplace

Hyderabad: Begum Bazar, Telangana’s largest commodities hub, is facing severe traffic congestion as facelift works on the decades-old roads continue. Commuters and traders face daily inconvenience due to diversions and narrowed lanes that slow down the movement of vehicles through the congested stretches.

The work, which began recently on the roads that are over four decades old, has resulted in gridlock across the market area that hosts around 2,000 shops with brisk daily loading and unloading activities.

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The roads in Begum Bazar are about 20 feet wide, and their narrowness has caused frequent traffic jams over the past four decades. More than 90 per cent of the road network was damaged by heavy rains and often remains inundated due to sewage overflows throughout the year.

A trader who has been selling dry fruits here for the past three decades said, “The footfall of visitors could be around 30,000 a day, with customers from within the city and from various districts visiting Begum Bazar, conducting transactions worth an estimated Rs 10 to 30 crore every day.”

The ongoing road works have severely affected business operations, causing major problems in the transportation of goods to various parts of the city and across Telangana, said another trader selling imitation jewellery.

Traders and shop owners expressed frustration as the traffic congestion disrupts their daily activities and business operations. They urged the authorities to complete the work within the scheduled time.

The GHMC is spending nearly Rs 18 lakh on the road works here, and GHMC Assistant Engineer Kallamma said, “We will carry out digging works at junctions where five roads lead into Begum Bazar at night to avoid inconvenience and complete the work within a month.”

A 400-year trading legacy

Begum Bazar, Hyderabad’s most historic marketplace, traces its origins to the Nizam era, spanning 400 years. The market was originally gifted by Humda Begum, wife of Nizam Ali Khan Asaf Jah II. Over the centuries, Begum Bazar has evolved into a bustling marketplace known for trade and commerce.

The busy wholesale market attracts a diverse range of buyers and sellers and contributes significantly to the local economy. Hundreds of traders sell products year-round, including plastic and metal kitchenware, dry fruits, decorative material, imitation jewellery, essential commodities, stationery such as books and bags, travel luggage, beauty parlour materials, local and imported perfumes, pooja materials, and disposable items.