VARANASI, Dec. 29 -- For crowd management in the lanes of Kashi, an AI-based pedestrian navigation and crowd intelligence app is being developed keeping in mind cities like Varanasi with dense population. Municipal commissioner Himanshu Nagpal said that the Smart City project, the Varanasi Nagar Nigam, the Varanasi Development Authority, the traffic police, and other relevant departments are collaborating on this initiative for crowd management and traffic facilitation. With the cooperation of these organisations, the app is being tailored to the actual needs and ground realities of the city. He added, the historical lanes of Varanasi are the city's identity, but due to the increasing number of tourists and traffic congestion, the need for better management of these lanes has long been felt. Now, a significant initiative has been taken to connect these lanes with smart traffic management. The AI-based pedestrian navigation and crowd intelligence app, developed under the Make in India initiative, will prove extremely useful for densely populated and heritage cities like Varanasi, added Nagpal. He said this app will provide tourists and local citizens with a smooth, safe, and improved walking experience in the narrow lanes and crowded areas of the old city. The app is currently undergoing user testing. htc...