Hyderabad footpaths? Going, going, gone

​Hyderabad: Several commercial establishments have encroached footpaths with impunity and have conveniently made them parking lots to run their businesses in violation of the building permission norms.

Negligence and lack of regard to public safety have resulted in some fatal and several non-fatal accidents. Compounding the problems was the steady seasonal rains that lashed the city over the last one month. Several footpaths have been damaged and as usual GHMC officials continue to turn a blind eye towards the issue.

Encroachment of footpaths in every nook and cranny of the city has been obstructing the free flow of pedestrians, especially school children and women who use public transport. The situation has turned from bad to worse in Koti, Abids, Dilsukhnagar, Himayathnagar, Narayanguda, Ramnagar, Banjara Hills and several other busy stretches in the city.

Some of the footpaths have even gobbled by encroachers. The stretch between TV tower junction in Malakpet and Dilsukhnagar TSRTC bus stand is the best example for encroachments by commercial establishments.

They use footpaths for parking, erecting makeshift shops, carrying out vending activities and every other purpose which does not serve the needs of the pedestrians. Even nationalised banks and several other government organisations are no exception to such encroachments. Notably, the footpath near AP Secretariat has been occupied by authorities to plant trees and set up a transformer.

Sharing his views, CPMleader M Srinivas said Hyderabad is living up to its image as a “footpath-less city”. “There is no other city in the country where officials have damaged footpaths to carry out road expansion works. Even GHMC itself has encroached upon footpath by installing swachh toilets.”