Ground Report | How Varanasi and the Lives of Its Residents Changed After 2014

Varanasi is considered a holy land. The city is one of the oldest in India and attracts many tourists.

Varanasi is a changed city after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

(Photo: The Quint)

Video Editors: Purnendu Pritam & Sandeep Suman

Varanasi is considered a holy land. The city is one of the oldest cities in India and attracts many tourists from all across the world every year. Varanasi is a changed city after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

But how much has it changed and how much has the lives of the people who live here changed? The Quint hit the ground to know the reality of the land from the people living in Kashi.

Munna Lal Sahni, a boat driver in Varanasi, told The Quint that the city has developed in terms of cleanliness, sewage, water, and electricity problems. The electricity runs 24 hours these days. He also said that with the increase in tourism, because of JP Vishwanath temple construction, a lot of opportunities for businesses to earn can be seen.

But Raghunath Kasera, a sculptor, tells a different story.

When the Kasera heard the news of the temple corridor and its construction would bring opportunities to bring in business and income, he was disheartened on knowing that all the employment went to outsiders.

Some tourists who were travelling from the capital city, New Delhi, told The Quint that the development in Varanasi is slow and a lot more could be improved in terms of cleanliness on the Ghats.