KOCHI: The unscientific construction of footpaths and lack of maintenance of existing ones render them largely useless for pedestrians in the city. Complaints seeking interventions by authorities have been piling up.
Madhu had stepped out of his office building at Convent Junction, and was making his way home, when his feet were trapped within the exposed iron grills on the footpath that had been installed to channel rainwater into drains. He ripped his toenails and had to seek medical assistance.
In another case, 65-year-old Rani was heading to church for morning prayers when she fell into a small pit on a pavement in Pachalam.
“The unscientific construction of footpaths is a major concern. Sections of uneven sidewalks have been creating chaos. In some places, slabs are missing and in others tiles have come undone.
The formation of cavities on pedestrian pathways where concrete slabs have been displaced throws up dangerous scenarios,” said Sujith S, an RTI activist. He urged Kochi corporation and Cochin Smart Mission Ltd (CSML) officials to take notice of these issues and make necessary interventions to ensure the safety of people who use walkways.
Meanwhile, there are also demands to make Kochi’s footpaths wheelchair-friendly.
Mayor V K Minimol pointed out that the corporation has urged CSML to assure upkeep of footpaths across the city. The possibility of using excess flyover beautification funds was also being explored, although diverting funds would amount to violation of protocols, she said.
‘Walkable City’ project
In 2025, the previous city administration under M Anil Kumar launched an initiative to map footpaths in the city. According to sources, the ‘Walkable City’ project covered 50 divisions, before it was rendered idle under the current UDF dispensation.
The Centre for Heritage, Environment and Development (C-HED) was the implementing agency of the project. Students and institutions were roped in to map the pavements using a GIS application developed for the purpose and report their condition.
Step By Step
551 km Length of footpaths mapped under Walkable City project
836 No. of volunteers who were part of the project
