KOCHI: Pedestrians on the busy stretch from Lisie Junction to North overbridge face mounting difficulty from piles of garbage taking up large portions of the footpath, raising serious concerns over road safety and urban waste management.
In the already congested corridor near Hospital Road, discarded waste dumped along the cement-slab pathway has significantly reduced walking space for residents, forcing many people — including elderly citizens, schoolchildren and daily commuters — to walk dangerously close to moving traffic during peak hours.
Residents say the waste mostly remains uncollected for several days, making everyday commute increasingly perilous. Waste materials were seen scattered across the pedestrian pathway, with some sections of the footpath also turned into temporary resting and vending spaces, further narrowing public access.
“With heavy traffic movement around the area, safe pedestrian access has become a major concern,” said local residents, who have called for immediate removal of the waste and better maintenance of pedestrian infrastructure.
The situation worsens during the rainy season, when blocked drains cause waterlogging along the road and footpath. Pedestrians say garbage dumped near drains prevents rainwater from flowing properly, leading to flooding and muddy conditions that make walking unsafe.
“The pathway becomes messy and flooded whenever it rains. People are forced to walk through waterlogged roads alongside vehicles,” a resident said.
Locals stress that restoring clean and accessible footpaths should be treated as an urgent civic priority.
Responding to the issue, councillor Ashraf T K said that repair work on the pathway had already been completed and that steps were being taken to improve waste management in the locality.
“The waste management issue will also be resolved soon. Immediate action will be taken,” he said.
Residents, hope authorities will act before the problem further endangers pedestrian movement on the stretch.