City of no sidewalks: Curious case of Mumbai’s disappearing footpaths

Santacruz resident Sanjay Patkar points to the height difference between the road and the ground level of his building, raising concerns about waterlogging. Pics/Ashish Raje

Pedestrians have slammed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as footpaths in the suburbs have been rendered virtually indistinguishable from roads due to ongoing concreting work that has radically raised the height of street surfaces.

A section of the Jankidevi School Road in Andheri West

mid-day visited spots in Andheri West, Santacruz West and Borivli East, where residents bemoaned the absence of discernible pavements, which they claimed poses a significant risk to their safety. When mid-day visited various internal roads, stretches that earlier had footpaths had been concreted, but the pavements were missing.

The under-construction Road No. 12 at Shri Krishna Nagar in Borivli East, where the height of the footpath and that of the road surface are the same. Pic/Satej Shinde

Andheri West

At Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP) Nagar, internal roads that were being concreted were at the same level as the footpath. Ratnakar Sawant, a resident, said, "It's high time the contractor and authorities sped up the concreting of our internal roads, which has been taking place at a snail-like pace. Earlier, these stretches had footpaths, but now there are none, highlighting that authorities are least bothered about pedestrians. We fear vehicles will be parked right in front of MHADA houses facing internal roads."

The internal road at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Nagar in Andheri West

mid-day observed that there was no space for pedestrians to walk freely and that illegal parking of vehicles on the now non-existent footpath had already begun. A BMC official in charge of road work at SVP Nagar said, "It is true that there used to be a footpath on the internal road but while making the cement concrete road, we have adopted the flush drain technique, where the road is at the same level as the footpath, on instructions of public representatives. This will help prevent traffic congestion on the road as the width of the road has been increased."

A section of Jankidevi School Road in Andheri West. Pics/Ashish Raje

The same method had been adopted for Jankidevi School Road, an arterial road at SVP Nagar, which is used by hundreds of vehicles, including BEST buses. Mukesh Waghela, a resident, said, "Pedestrian safety and footpaths are extremely important.

Ratnakar Sawant, who wants authorities to speed up the concreting of Andheri West's internal roads (right) Mukesh Waghela, Andheri West resident

Citizens will have to risk their lives while passing through Jankidevi School Road on foot. The space on either side of the stretch will be used for parking vehicles. I hope the authorities provide a proper footpath for pedestrians."

Borivli East

Concreting work on Road No. 12 at Shrikrishna Nagar has been going on for more than two months. Vaishali G, a resident of Shyamkunj, said, "We have observed that footpaths have not been made available for pedestrians after the concretisation works have been undertaken. Once the road is functional, big vehicles such as BEST buses will pass through the stretch. In a scenario where there are no footpaths, people lacking civic sense will park their vehicles anywhere. And when big vehicles pass, there won't be any space for people to walk. Walking safely will be a thing of the past, and there won't be any space left for pedestrians."

The under-construction Road No. 12 at Shri Krishna Nagar in Borivli East, where the height of the footpath and that of the road surface are the same. Pics/Satej Shinde

Anju Tavkar, another local, said, "There is a wedding hall right in front of our house. Now that the footpaths are not to be seen, the road outside has become a free parking space for motorists. Sometimes, it becomes difficult to even step out of our house, as people don't care if they have parked in front of our gate. Footpaths for every road are a must. Does the corporation not understand this basic principle?" Deepa Sarnaik, another resident, said, "I don't understand the purpose of this whole undertaking. If a footpath is constructed on at least one side of the road, it would be safer for pedestrians."

Contractor's comments

Rakshat Sing, an employee of the company tasked with concreting Road No. 12 at Shrikrishna Nagar
‘We followed our seth's orders. We also know that footpaths are necessary. We will make them if our boss tells us to. But right now, we are going about our work according to all the instructions that have been given to us.'

Santacruz West

Residents of TPS VI Road No. 3 and 4 near Chhatrapati Sambhaji Garden expressed concern about their safety in light of concreting work that has robbed them of sidewalks, asking mid-day where they should walk if the vehicles are parked on either side of the road.

TPS VI Road No. 4 near Chhatrapati Sambhaji Garden in Santacruz West. Pic/Ashish Raje

Ajit Ajgaokar, a resident of Subodh Co-operative Housing Society, said, "Before the roads were concreted, we had footpaths on both sides. Now, there are no footpaths at all, while on some roads, only one side has a pavement. Apart from walkability issues, there are safety concerns. Many people park their vehicles adjacent to the compound walls of residential buildings, which can be misused by those who have malicious intentions.

Sanjay Patkar, a resident of Bageshri Co-operative Housing Society, said, "While the disappearance of footpaths is one issue, the road surface is now higher than our building's ground level. We are definitely going to face a flood-like situation during the monsoon, as there is no way for water to drain out of the premises and it will enter ground-floor flats. Did the executive engineers not think about this when they planned the concreting of roads, which to begin with, were completely in good condition? Walkability has been hampered massively with footpaths being taken away."

Navneet Madan, a resident of Jeevan Sangeet Co-operative Housing Society, Santacruz, said, "We don't understand the logic behind taking away footpaths. Where does the BMC expect us to walk? Why did the civic body not direct contractors to raise the levels of footpaths in the initial stage only? Now it's too late as the monsoon is just two weeks away. This is the season when footpaths are needed the most."

BMC Speak

Dinesh Pallewad, assistant municipal commissioner, H West ward
‘Concreting work is not in the purview of individual civic wards, but is being done at the central level with engineers being appointed directly by the head office. However, if residents have concerns or complaints, they can write a letter to our office and we can request the executive engineer concerned to direct the contractors to raise the level of footpaths.'