VARANASI, Dec. 29 -- Taking serious note of the traffic problems caused by the closure of gates in various colonies, the Varanasi Nagar Nigam administration has issued instructions to open the closed gate of colonies from 6am to 10pm. Municipal commissioner Himanshu Nagpal, taking serious note of the report from the additional deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Anshuman Mishra, has issued instructions to open the closed gates of various colonies in the city for a specified time. This system will be implemented in a phased manner throughout the city, said VNN public relations officer Sandeep Srivastava in a press communique. In the first phase, colonies like Tagore Town, Bhubaneshwar Nagar, and Vindhyavasini Nagar have been identified. Keeping the safety of the colony residents paramount, the administration has prepared a special action plan. The municipal commissioner has assured that robust security arrangements will be made for the safety of the residents after the gates are opened. For this, the main roads of the colonies will be monitored. The administration's goal is to ensure smooth traffic flow while also strengthening citizen security. In this regard, a recent physical inspection by the traffic police revealed that the closure of internal lanes and colony gates is the reason for hours of traffic jams on busy routes like Bhojubir, Ardali Bazaar, and Mahavir Temple. Earlier, these lanes served as alternative routes, but now their closure puts immense pressure on the main intersections. Opening these gates will allow vehicles to use these routes as bypasses, and the problem of traffic congestion will be largely resolved. The municipal commissioner has instructed the zonal officers to hold discussions with the residents' representatives and ensure that the gates are opened. For areas with heavy traffic, the gates will remain open from 6am to 10pm during the winter months. In areas with normal traffic, the gates must be kept open from 10am to 8pm. Nagpal said that in the first phase, this initiative has been launched in a few selected colonies and will gradually be extended to the entire city. Our objective is to ensure smooth traffic flow while giving utmost importance to public safety, he said....