Obstacle-free footpaths: BBMP ignores High Court warning again

The High Court’s recent warning to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on making the City’s footpaths pedestrian-friendly seems to have fallen on deaf ears. 

On September 8, the High Court warned of taking stringent action against Palike engineers for failing to implement the court’s earlier orders to make the City’s footpaths user friendly.

Some of the footpaths that lie in a dilapidated state stand testimony to the fact that the Palike engineers have not paid heed to the Court’s directions neither in the past nor now. As one enters Kasthurba Road from Anil Kumble Circle, a huge transformer on the left side of the pavement catches ones attention. A few steps ahead, one can find electrical boxes.

Not just Kasthurba Road, transformers are located along the footpaths even near UB City and Richmond Road. The situation is worse on Residency Road, a posh lane with many commercial complexes, with vehicles being parked all over the pavement.

“The traffic is always at its peak and there is no place for us to even walk on the footpath. I have witnessed four accidents. Senior citizens and working professionals face many hassles. People should not park their vehicles on Residency Road,” said K Jayaram, who is employed in a firm on the road.

Jaan Bapista, a student at St Joseph’s College, said, “My college is near Richmond Circle, which is in a very bad shape. Garbage is strewn all over the footpath. Electrical boxes block the pedestrians’ path. Some of my collegemates who are visually challenged find it difficult to cross this lane.” From Brigade Road Junction to Mayo Hall bus stand, there are six electrical boxes on the pedestrians’ path.

While BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana was unavailable for comment, Palike engineer-in-chief Rangaraj told Deccan Herald had just this to say. “A few weeks back, the civic agency entrusted the responsibility of taking care of the footpaths and removing encroachments to the zonal chief engineers.”