Lucknow: ₹2-crore vending project reignites hospital emergency access fears in Ashiana

The move directly contradicts authorities’ earlier promises. Following the April 2025 fire, officials removed encroachments, shifted activities from hospital routes, directed agencies to ensure unobstructed emergency movement. Yet now the civic body appears to be facilitating similar obstructions.

Just months after the Lok Bandhu Raj Narayan Hospital fire exposed critical gaps in emergency access, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has sparked fresh concerns by starting construction of a ₹2-crore vending zone on a key Ashiana route serving major healthcare facilities. The project features 59 permanent shops on a stretch residents say ambulances rely on for quick passage to hospitals.

Shops under construction along the footpath in Ashiana, as part of the vending zone project by LMC. (Deepak Gupta/HT)

The move directly contradicts authorities’ earlier promises. Following the April 2025 fire, officials removed encroachments, shifted activities from hospital routes, directed agencies to ensure unobstructed emergency movement. Yet now the civic body appears to be facilitating similar obstructions.

During the Lok Bandhu Hospital fire, emergency vehicles struggled to reach the premises due to restricted access, congestion blocking entry. Fire brigade operations faced severe delays. The incident prompted decisive action. Authorities removed several encroachments on routes to hospitals, with officials publicly committing to keep these passages clear.

That commitment now faces serious scrutiny.

The vending zone is coming up near Gautam Buddha Shanti Upvan park 2 in Sector-H, Ashiana, on land adjoining a footpath alongside Gautam Buddha Shanti Upvan park 3, an LDA park. The route connects Ashiana intersection with Bangla Bazaar intersection, serving commuters, emergency vehicles heading toward Lok Bandhu Hospital, two private healthcare facilities, one government hospital nearby.

A public representative, requesting anonymity, fears operational shops will see customer vehicles parked along the road, further narrowing the carriageway, creating severe congestion on one of the area’s crucial routes. He is preparing correspondence to chief minister Yogi Adityanath, alleging permanent structures are being developed under a vending guise.

“The project could obstruct emergency services, compromise the free movement of ambulances,” the representative alleged. “After the shops become operational, customers’ vehicles parked along the road could narrow the carriageway further,” he added.

Questions surround the approval process. Sources questioned how authorities cleared construction on land allegedly linked to PWD while the structure borders LDA park property.

Rajeev Sharma, executive engineer, LMC, overseeing the project, said the corporation is constructing 59 shops under the vending zone at an estimated cost exceeding ₹2 crore. “The zonal officer identifies locations, the vending committee gives final approval,” Sharma said.

On traffic congestion concerns, Sharma claimed the department obtained a no-objection certificate from PWD. However, he did not provide a copy when requested.

When contacted, additional municipal commissioner Pankaj Srivastava said he was unaware of the matter but would investigate immediately.