CHENNAI: Pedestrians across the city are often forced to choose between walking on the uneven, encroached and damaged footpaths and, in the case of the Bus Route Road, the public, especially senior citizens and children, are left with no other choice but to walk on the busy road.
Similarly, the 550-meter pavement alongside the Mayor Ramanathan Salai (Spurtank Road) was filled with unremoved concrete slabs for over a month, forcing pedestrians to walk on the road.
According to residents of Chetpet and pedestrians, the 550-meter stretch was encroached by bamboo basket weavers and other roadside shops.
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) removed the encroachments, and Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) housing units were allotted to the homeless individuals who occupied the footpath.
"In the first week of January, GCC officials initiated work to lay a new footpath in the stretch; however, after digging up the footpath, the work was halted for nearly three weeks, after completing a small portion," said Raman, a resident of Chetpet.
Echoing similar concerns, P Benny, another resident of Chetpet, said, "It's nice to see all the encroachments removed; we hope for an encroachment-free footpath for pedestrians. Civic officials have to expedite the footpath work for the welfare of the public. Also, while creating footpaths, officials have to make sure the footpath is accessible for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)."
An official in the Chennai corporation said, "Earlier, we cleared the encroachment on the footpaths alongside the road and initiated the works for completing the pavement. However, the National Highway Authority of India's (NHAI) Chennai Port-Maduravoyal elevated expressway works are under way in the Cooum River. Thus, they had asked us to leave the stretch to erect the barricade. Once NHAI placed the barrage, the Corporation started the footpath work accordingly."
A civic body official attributes delay to NHAI's Chennai Port-Maduravoyal elevated expressway work along the Cooum River