In many localities of Bangalore, broken slabs laid over open drains are considered footpaths. Though unsafe, some people walk on them. Others skip the risk and instead walk on the road putting their lives in a different kind of jeopardy, of speeding vehicular traffic. Kalasipalya Main Road, which goes through one of the major business centres in the city, is an example of the same. Besides being badly maintained by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the footpaths here have been encroached on by several small-scale businesses. Shopkeepers consider the footpaths as go-downs to stock inventory, while garage owners use them as workstations.
In this busy locality, where there are several commercial establishments, the footpaths are very narrow, leaving pedestrians no choice but to walk on roads. Labourers carrying huge gunny bags on their shoulders and walking in the middle of the road is a common sight. Despite the width of the footpaths, hawkers are found occupying space to sell electronic gadgets, toys and other wares. Savitri, a regular visitor to the area, said, “Besides encroachment, one of the major problems we face here is from groups of young boys who simply hang around shops. They use up whatever little space is there and cause inconvenience to pedestrians. Even after requesting them to make way, they seem reluctant. There have been instances when I have been eve-teased too. Unfortunately, raising a complaint about it at the nearest police station did not serve any purpose.”
Many residents from the locality also complain of how unclean the footpaths are but have accepted it as a way of life with shopkeepers, visitors and hawkers dumping garbage by the roadsides. In fact, collecting garbage is what welcomes one to the market place here. “Flower and vegetable vendors trash unsold stocks on the footpaths here without a pinch of concern for pedestrians. To add to it, conservancy workers are irregular. This situation has posed serious health problems. The stench emanating from the garbage is unbearable and we, shopkeepers, have fallen ill several times due to it. A health officer had visited over six months ago and instructed the concerned corporator to have garbage cleared regularly. But till now no action has been taken in this regard,” said Manjunath (name changed), a shopkeeper. Construction material is also dumped on the footpaths.
Authorities seem to have neglected the condition of the footpaths here. On several occasions earlier when City Express contacted G A Ashwath Narayana, corporator, K R Market, regarding the poor maintenance of footpaths, he assured change, promising to clear the footpaths of garbage and encroachment with co-operation from general public. However, footpaths on Kalasipalya Main Road tell a story of continued apathy.