Losing the right to walk

In this age of India Shining, or to turn that clichéd phrase on its head, India Suffering, what is most disheartening to observe is the slow erosion of one of our most important rights as a citizen — the right to walk.

Yes you heard right. Walk. This right existed in the old days when ordinary citizens could walk freely on footpaths. Do you remember that word footpath (or pavement, bowing to Yankee pressure)? I am not so sure the new generation has even heard that term let alone walked on one. Such is the state of our footpaths, that it has slowly disappeared from our lexicon and from our accelerating environs, in the face of ever expanding development — dwellings, malls, roads, etc.

The growing need for living space together with the greed for enhanced revenue streams by maximising ‘FSI’ property reflects the callous disregard of the powers that be for that freedom to exercise ones limbs and savour a calm, slow and  romantic walk around the neighbourhood.

Do town planners ever cater to such aspirations of bipeds, or are they only concerned about the well being of the four-wheeled motorised beast? It is surprising, but I have this creeping doubt that they have forgotten those days of walking aimlessly without any aim or goal, in the early morning or in the evening with the family or with the dog, without fear of grazing oneself by a passing vehicle, tripping on uneven laid footpaths and manoeuvring around rubbish heaps or electric transformers. In fact they seem to be blissfully unaware of ground realities as they now talk in the air of escalators and skywalks!

Deprivation

Of course, the oft quoted reprise is that very few citizens really walk nowadays, they are so busy running to catch an auto, a bus or jumping into their car. But I am sure if there was a clear, well defined footpath you would see more smiling, relaxed, happy and energised walkers of all ages.

The dire need of the hour is for town planners to earmark a footpath strip and, more importantly, for the authorities to maintain it by keeping it free of shop extensions, parking of two-wheelers, dumping of building materials and garbage. Even in new layouts there just isn’t any room for footpaths. My guess is they never really planned for it. That’s sad because even in a few places where they barely exist, they is so narrow that after planting a tree which in itself is a noble act, there is no room to walk. You have to either go through the tree or the lamp post or inevitably hit the road. And once you do that there is no turning back. Since the roads are so clean and devoid of all obstructions isn’t it such a pleasure to walk on them with traffic whizzing past you? Wow, a real high!

Moreover, walking on uncluttered footpaths leads to fewer accidents, easier vehicle driving, savings on energy, and a cheerful citizenry. From 2010 to 2014, the Centre earmarked a budget of Rs 6,00,000 crore for infrastructure and 84 per cent of it is for roads, while the balance is for airports and ports. But — you guessed it — nothing for footpaths. It seems the joys of walking seems to have eluded Pranab Mukherjee and his team.

So if anybody is interested to ‘walk on footpaths’ before they become extinct drop in a mail and let us set foot to find a way how we can walk on paths that have a heart. The footpath, folks, is indeed beckoning.