Footpath project put on back burner

Though MA&UD Minister announced the prestigious project a year ago, the GHMC officials seem to be least bothered about the plight of pedestrians
Hyderabad: The much-hyped city modern footpath project seems to have gone for a toss, if the present status of the project is any indication.Even though Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister K T Rama Rao announced to construct modern footpaths within a year in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits a year ago,

the authorities are yet to embark even on the pilot project. Interestingly, out of 187 km-long footpaths, about 30 per cent of footpaths have been encroached in just last one year. The city has only mere 187 kms of footpath for 9,099.24 kilometres long roads.

Rama Rao, on June 16 last year, announced that the civic body would construct modern footpath across the city. City mayor, along with the GHMC officials, also toured Bangalore to conduct a comprehensive study on modern footpaths.

However, a year has passed by but the GHMC seems to be in slumber. Pedestrians, especially women, claimed that due to heavy water logging, the motorist had been using narrow footpaths as alternative routes. They even claimed that it was even harder to cross the water-stagnated roads as motorists gave them least regard near the sub merged pelican crossings.
Sharing her experience, A Mounika, a resident of Shalivahana Nagar, said she had been working as clerk in a private firm at Khairatabad.

“Even though the problem was negligible during mid-90s, the footpath problem eventually has become a nightmare for the past three years. When the water stagnation level reaches to knee level, it becomes impossible to walk on the footpaths, roads and cross them to board the bus.”

M Harika, a software professional said, “During rainy days, it has been a tough task to cross the road to board the bus at the Mehdipatnam bus stop as motorist, due to lack of awareness, do not show any regard to the pedestrians.” “Due to footpath encroachments in the Masab Tank- Mehdipatnam stretch, I have been feeling insecure while walking on the road,” she said.
However, the GHMC officials refused to comment on the issue.

According to a civic body report, the footpath length in the city is only 187 kilometres to 9,099.24-km roads. But experts claim that there is not more than 120 km length of footpaths in the city. Speaking to The Hans India, Vaada Foundation founder president Suresh Raju said either traffic or civic officials had never bothered to hold campaigns to raise awareness regarding pelican crossings.

He said it had become a herculean task for him to fight with the civic authorities. He said even though several organisations had been fighting with the civic body for construction of footpaths, it managed to construct only about 120 km footpath since 2006.

By Maddy Deekshith