Civic body says will keep its word, reconstruct footpaths
GHMC to construct 160 km of footpaths as part of maintenance work
After taking action on footpath encroachments, The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has decided to repair the footpaths under the supervision of the zonal commissioners. It would construct 160 km of new footpaths as part of periodical preventive maintenance works.
During its three-day drive, the corporation removed around 4,669 footpath encroachments. Among them, more than 50 per cent of the footpaths got damaged due to dismantling of permanent and semi-permanent encroachments. In order to take up the footpath repair works immediately and to ensure the restoration work, the corporation delegated powers to the zonal commissioner.
For ensuring pedestrian safety, all four-lane roads and above that should have a footpath. The corporation has already constructed footpath for 432.59 km out of total 795 km. Even though the city has 9,103.5 km of roads, most of them are single-lane roads in by lanes.
A senior GHMC official said that the Corporation would ensure repair and patchworks for footpaths that were damaged in the three-day drive.
He said that instructions were given to the zonal commissioners to take up repair works immediately. Besides existing footpaths, the civic body would construct 160 km under PPM works.
When asked about such fewer footpaths for above 9,000 km road, the official said that due to negligence of Deputy Commissioners (DC), Town Planning and Assistant Medical Officers of Health (AMoH), the corporation had to form an independent enforcement wing and take up footpath encroachment drive.
He said that the corporation has decentralised enforcement powers to DCs, AMoHs and town planning but they are hand in glove with the encroachers and have turned a blind eye to encroachments and could not help protect the existing footpaths.
"Since the situation on the ground has improved after forming independent enforcement, the Corporation would concentrate on constructing footpaths at a rapid pace. Within one-and-a-half year, there will not be a road, without footpath in the GHMC limits", the official said.