VARANASI, July 20 -- Emphasising the need to integrate innovation and technology for better crowd management, urban development minister AK Sharma on Sunday stated that any development model for Kashi must strike a balance between heritage preservation and modern urban management. Speaking as the chief guest at the "Sustainable Cities Challenge" event held at a city hotel, Sharma highlighted that Kashi's identity is rooted in its ancient culture, narrow lanes, and religious significance. The initiative aims to develop effective solutions for crowd management and sustainable mobility while safeguarding the city's historic character. "Kashi is one of the world's oldest living cities, possessing a unique cultural, spiritual, and historical identity," Sharma said. The minister noted that the city has witnessed unprecedented growth since 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi began representing Kashi as its Member of Parliament. Significant transformations in infrastructure, tourism, and civic amenities have driven a continuous surge in visitors. However, this growth has introduced new challenges regarding mobility and crowd control, which Sharma argued require data-driven management and innovative solutions. Varanasi divisional commissioner S Rajalingam and municipal commissioner Himanshu Nagpal also addressed the event, stressing the importance of adopting new approaches to streamline the management of the city's narrow lanes and densely populated areas to accommodate the rising influx of pilgrims....