BBMP’s apathy towards footpath restoration
Like roads are for motorists, footpaths are meant for pedestrians. But in Koramangala it is other way around. For instance try walking on the footpath between Vivero International School and St Francis School on the 1st Cross in Koramangala 3rd Block, you would be greeted with hawkers occupying and dirtying footpaths, parking of vehicles, debris, encroachment and whatnot.
With the footpath being encroached upon, residents are forced to use the road, endangering their lives in the process. Added to this, the damaged median separation between Sarjapur Road and 1st Cross Road is causing more trouble to pedestrians. Two wheelers/ Three wheelers use the damaged portion to cross over to the Service Road which is dangerous for and makes the 1st cross accident prone. The problem of footpath occupation/blocking is causing tremendous inconvenience to pedestrians and residents living around 1st Cross and forces them to walk on the road carrying fast moving vehicles and makes them face perennial hazardous and unsafe conditions.
Residents say that despite the Karnataka High Court’s directive to BBMP to clear all encroachments and make the footpaths pedestrian-friendly, it is distressing to find how such a menace is going on without any fear. A local resident shares, “We put our lives in danger while walking on road because the footpath is encroached by local vendors”.
Resident seek remedial measures soon
Footpaths all over Bangalore are in pitiable condition and appears to be available for easy encroachment by anyone who desire, as if it belongs to them without appreciating that that footpaths are meant to provide a safe unrestricted path to pedestrians particularly the children and elderly.
It is a common practice to find plot owners to block footpaths for parking their vehicles, street vendors, hawkers occupy and litter the footpath with garbage, plot owners wanting to build a house consider it their right to construct a store room and fully block the footpath. It is the CIVIC authorities’ responsibility and duty to check above rampant violation and footpath misuse. Needless to say, concerned CIVIC bodies have been severely lacking on this front.
Recently restoration activity of footpaths have been undertaken in many parts of Bangalore, including Koramangala. This however did not happen proactively, but only after few concerned citizens filed a PIL by on this issue and the BBMP was directed by the Karnataka High Court, to remove encroachments and restore footpaths in a time bound manner.
In this context, it is distressing to find that even after such a direction from the Karnataka High Court, there are construction being allowed on footpaths, people continue to park vehicles right over the footpaths and hawkers are occupying and dirtying footpaths without any fear. The photographs of few such instances on Service Road of 1st Cross Road, Sarjapura Road, Koramangala 3rd Block in the stretch between VIVERO International School to St Francis School tell you more.
Recently in a meeting with BBMP officials, the Koramangala 3rd Block Residents’ Welfare Association and residents of Floriana Apartment, highlighted these problems and sought for immediate remedial measures. Residents are eagerly looking forward for the BBMP authorities to take action.
Report footpath encroachments online
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has launched a dedicated website to receive complaints on footpath encroachment.
The website’s URL will be available on the official BBMP site www.bbmp.gov.in and very soon it will be operational. Citizens can lodge complaints with details like area and landmark. Google Map provision will be available and one can tag the location.
Once the complaint is sent, an email will be sent to the BBMP Commissioner as well as the zonal chief engineer concerned.
Subsequently the ward engineers will be directed to submit an action plan.
