Mumbai's dug-up roads: Who took my footpath?

Walking on Mumbairsquos congested streets has always been tough but ongoing roadwork is making it worse In this part of the series midday explores how infrastructure projects are shrinking already limited footpaths making it harder to walk and access roads Our reporters visited areas across five zonesmdashsouth central western eastern and northernmdashto assess how roadwork has worsened traffic jams and hindered accessibility near public utilities hospitals schools and colleges The daily struggle is now a routine for many residents Citizens are complaining about poor accessibility the lack of footpaths and long traffic jamsOngoing roadwork without proper barricading at Lohar Chawl Mahim on April 6 File picCentral Mumbai Matunga Sion Wadala MahimDebris on footpathsDarayush Bacha a resident of Dadar Parsi Colony said ldquoWe understand the urgency of the work and are cooperating with contractors and the BMC We know the footpaths canrsquot be repaired immediatelyOne side of the road under construction near Guru Nanak College Raoli Camp GTB Nagar on April 6However before the monsoon contractors should clear all obstacles from the footpaths so people can use them safelyrdquoIn Sion Koliwada Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar GTB Nagar and Rajyogi Jaimal Singh Road present a daily challenge for pedestrians There is no proper safety or provision for themProfessor K Praveish Vishwanath Aiyar said ldquoThis work causes major inconvenience to pedestrians the elderly and the differentlyabled as therersquos no proper infrastructure or consideration for their movementrdquoDugup footpathsAnother Parsi Colony resident pointed to worsening conditions along Jame Jamshed Road ldquoThe walkability here is terrible Parts of the footpath have been dug up for utility work and left in poor condition Several obstacles need to be cleared immediatelyrdquo she saidUnfinished and poorly maintained footpath at Shankar Matha Road Matunga Mumbai on April 4Payal Shah a resident of Matunga echoed similar concerns ldquoWe welcome the road concreting and have not objected to it but there should be proper planningOn Gokul Hall Road the concreting is complete but the footpath that was damaged during the work hasnrsquot been fixed On M Madhavan Road there is no proper walkway for pedestriansrdquo she saidShah added ldquoThe work in Parsi Colony has been substandardldquoFootpaths are damaged and there are several obstructions making walking difficult There should be a proper plan to ensure pedestrian safetyrdquoRoad visitsMatunga EastDuring middayrsquos visit to Shankar Matha Road most footpaths were found damagedPayal Shah at Jame Jamshed Road which is currently under construction in Matunga Mumbai on April 6Residents noted ldquoThe roadwork is nearly complete and we manage to walk on the road at our own riskrdquo They said the footpath was dug up around 10ndash12 days ago but hasnrsquot been repaired ldquoThe surface is uneven If not fixed soon the monsoon will make things worserdquo locals warnedMahimMahimrsquos wellknown Kapda Bazar is currently under concreting work leaving little to no space for pedestrians in the already narrow lane Drainage work remains incomplete and proper barricading is missing Near one house pipeline repairs are ongoing again without barricadesldquoThis is a narrow lane Irsquom not opposing the roadwork but pedestrians need space toordquo said local resident Sabnam Sheikh ldquoSmall sections of road could be concreted later to allow walkable space and there must be proper barricading to ensure safetyrdquoMogul LaneThe concreting of Mogul Lane in Mahim has been completed but nearby footpath work on Manmala Tank Road has caused other issues During repairs a tree collapsed due to the ongoing work Residents said construction debris and equipment are often dumped on the footpath damaging itManmala TankResidents of Manmala Tank Road voiced frustration ldquoWe are fed up Therersquos no safety for pedestrians Half the footpath is regularly covered with debris and construction material Wersquove complained to the BMC but nothing has been donerdquo they saidSouth Mumbai Colaba Cuffe Parade Charni RdIn southern Mumbai road concreting has led to damaged footpaths making walking difficultA senior citizen walks on the underconstruction 1st Pasta Lane Colaba Mumbai on April 11ldquoWe understand the need to concrete dilapidated roads but random concreting is wasteful and disruptive Woodhouse Road has been dug up since January and no work has been done for months The footpath and bus stop are destroyed Where should pedestrians walkrdquo said Jianne Mathew a Cuffe Parade residentRoadwork in progress at Sukhatwala Lane Fort Mumbai on April 5 PicATUL KAMBLEldquoPasta Lane has been dug up since last December but work is inconsistent The road is blocked making walking impossible Elderly residents are especially affectedrdquo said Ajay Multani a resident of ColabaRoadwork in progress at Pandey Road Colaba Mumbai on April 5 PicATUL KAMBLEldquoI would reach college every day in just 15 minutes on foot But since the road work began on the JSS Marg walking has become impossible One side of the road is dug up and the other half is being used as a twoway road which leaves no space for pedestrians The road is too narrow for pedestriansrdquo said Aarshi Sahijawala a Charni Road residentWestern Bandra Andherimidday visited Bandra West and Andheri West and found that at many places the roadwork is in progress Local residents allege that the planning for these projects has been poorly executed making accessibility difficultSt Roques Road dug up at Bandra West Mumbai on April 6 PicShadab Khan right The internal roads in SVP Nagar in Andheri have been dug up to create cement concrete roadsInaccessible footpathsRatnakar Ahire a redevelopment consultant and urban development expert who also resides in Andheri West said ldquoThis is nothing but the Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas alliance of ruling parties BMC contractors and an unelected BMC administration that has been running the show for over two years Itrsquos a massive conspiracy against honest Mumbaikars who pay taxes but are forced to live in dangerous brokendown conditions Everywhere you look itrsquos chaos What can we expect from a government more interested in digging up graves than building anything for the common manrdquoRatnakar Ahire a redevelopment consultant right John Baptist Road dug up at Bandra West PICSHADAB KHANActivist Zoru Bhathena said ldquoPavements in Mumbai have become totally unwalkable Every attempt at improvement only makes things worse Mumbai is not a city for walkingrdquoUnplanned diggingMukesh Waghela a resident of SVP Nagar in Andheri West said ldquoThe internal roads in my area have been dug up to create cement concrete roads which is good because they have a longer lifespan compared to tar roads and wonrsquot develop potholes However the work should have been planned better to avoid causing inconvenience to people Right now there is no place to walk on the footpath making it difficult for pedestriansrdquoMukesh Waghela Andheri and Zoru BhathenaRoad visitsBandra WestAt St Roques Road in Bandra West we found that the 260metre stretch from Rebello Road junction to MT Carmel Road was under construction As a result residents and daily commuters were finding it difficult to walk as footpaths in some places were inadequate Due to the dugup roads and improper footpaths accessibility has become a major issue especially for senior citizensAndheri WestSeveral roads in Sardar Vallabhai Patel Nagar in Andheri West have been dug up making access to footpaths challenging In some places the footpath is completely obstructed forcing pedestrians to walk on uneven road surfaces Similarly Adarsh Nagar in Andheri West near Link Road is facing the same issue where dugup roads have led to the disappearance of footpaths Northern suburbs Borivli Malad DahisarTo assess the ground reality midday visited several localities across North Mumbai and spoke to residents commuters civic activists and political workers Their accounts reveal a grim picture of neglected pedestrian infrastructure amid largescale construction and digging workPankaj Trivedi BorivliBorivliPankaj Trivedi a resident of Srikrishna Society in Borivli expressed his frustration bluntly ldquoIt seems like the BMC has launched a moneymaking scheme by digging up the entire northern suburbs I recently had the misfortune of trying to use the footpathsmdashand its a nightmarerdquo he saidDev Nagar Derasar Road dug up for drainage work in Borivli West right Shimpoli Road dug up at Kastur Park Borivli West PICSATEJ SHINDEldquoIn a city where lakhs rely on public transport and walking to get to work school or even just shop the state of footpaths is absolutely terrible Hawkers block random stretches so you canrsquot walk more than 100 metres without being forced onto the road There are uneven paver blocks unauthorised barriers put up by societies pipes sticking out of nowheremdashitrsquos a messrdquo he saidDahisarRajesh Kumar Pandya a teacher from Dahisar echoed similar concerns ldquoEvery other day someone trips or twists their ankle We canrsquot walk without watching every step There are no signs just barricades put up by the BMCrsquos road and traffic department In many places both the road and the footpath are dug up or encroached Where are we supposed to walkrdquoShopkeepers place goods on the Saibaba Mandir Road footpath Borivli West circle Hawkers and parked vehicles occupy Saibaba Mandir Road amid drainage work in Borivli West PICSATEJ SHINDEHe pointed to the road near Anandnagar in Dahisar close to Vidya Mandir School which has been dug up for nearly a month now ldquoThe entire stretch from CS Road to SV Road and towards Dahisar Subway is in shamblesrdquo He saidMaladDipesh Tank a resident of Malad West pointed out the repeated wastage of public money and lack of coordination between departments ldquoThe footpath stretching from Chincholi Bunder in Malad West up to Goregaon West near Infant Jesus School was rebuilt just a few months ago And now itrsquos been dug up againmdashthis time for bollards or some railing work apparentlyrdquo he saidDipesh Tank MaladTo assess the ground reality midday visited several localities across North Mumbai and spoke to residents commuters civic activists and political workers Their accounts reveal a grim picture of neglected pedestrian infrastructure amid largescale construction and digging workBorivliPankaj Trivedi a resident of Srikrishna Society in Borivli expressed his frustration bluntly ldquoIt seems like the BMC has launched a moneymaking scheme by digging up the entire northern suburbs I recently had the misfortune of trying to use the footpathsmdashand its a nightmarerdquo he saidldquoIn a city where lakhs rely on public transport and walking to get to work school or even just shop the state of footpaths is absolutely terrible Hawkers block random stretches so you canrsquot walk more than 100 metres without being forced onto the road There are uneven paver blocks unauthorised barriers put up by societies pipes sticking out of nowheremdashitrsquos a messrdquo he saidDahisarRajesh Kumar Pandya a teacher from Dahisar echoed similar concerns ldquoEvery other day someone trips or twists their ankle We canrsquot walk without watching every step There are no signs just barricades put up by the BMCrsquos road and traffic department In many places both the road and the footpath are dug up or encroached Where are we supposed to walkrdquoHe pointed to the road near Anandnagar in Dahisar close to Vidya Mandir School which has been dug up for nearly a month now ldquoThe entire stretch from CS Road to SV Road and towards Dahisar Subway is in shamblesrdquo He saidMaladDipesh Tank a resident of Malad West pointed out the repeated wastage of public money and lack of coordination between departments ldquoThe footpath stretching from Chincholi Bunder in Malad West up to Goregaon West near Infant Jesus School was rebuilt just a few months ago And now itrsquos been dug up againmdashthis time for bollards or some railing work apparentlyrdquo he saidEastern Suburbs Mulund Ghatkopar ChemburA large number of roads in the eastern suburbs have been dug up affecting both small and major roadsA dugup stretch in Neelam Nagar in MulundRoad visitsMulund EastMultiple stretches including Navghar Road RB Thakur Marg and Neelam Nagar are dug up The construction on Navghar Road causes daily traffic jams Footpaths are occupied by hawkers and shop extensions making walking nearly impossibleNirmal ThakkarMulund WestRoads like Devidayal Road and Mahakavi Kalidas Road are dug up slowing traffic Footpath obstructions from roadside parking and barricades limit accessibility making it difficult for senior citizens to walkBhandupA road in Bhandup West has been dug up for two months causing major accessibility issues with the only bus route diverted forcing residents to walk longer distancesRoads in Chembur are dug up to make cement concrete roadsGhatkoparChemburRoads in the GhatkoparChembur belt are dug up despite municipal orders prohibiting new digging causing inconvenience to both pedestrians and motoristsldquoWhy are they digging up roads without any prior survey or demand from residents Itrsquos a nightmare to drive on Navghar Road Traffic is down to one lane and therersquos no pedestrian walkway How will people access bus stops or ambulancesrdquo said Mulund resident Chetan BordawekarChetan Bordawekar MulundldquoDugup roads are causing traffic jams and delays for students heading to exams Footpaths are already encroached by hawkersrdquo said citizen activist Nirmal ThakkaratOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params