Encroachment removal drives leave Hyderabad footpaths unsafe

Miles and miles of road sides in the city are being declared as clear of encroachments, but the exercise of removing these encroachments is failing to restore space either for pedestrians or motorists.

Across the civic bodies of GHMC, CMC and MMC, special drives are being held, and hundreds of encroachments on footpaths are being removed. But lacking a clear restoration strategy, these drives have left the spaces littered with debris from demolition drives, fallen pillars, and uncarpeted roads and unpaved footpaths, not being helpful for citizens.

Pedestrians lament that though cleared of encroachments, the road



corners are filled with debris and hardly useful for them. “Why don’t the authorities, immediately on demolition of encroachments, follow up with strengthening the road and laying proper pavements?” questioned Radheshyam at Gopanpally.

Engineering officials in the CMC took up removal and demolition of encroachments on footpaths under the ‘ Walk-Free’ initiative and cleared several kilometres of footpaths while warning the encroachers of stern action if the footpaths are re-encroached. Pedestrians in Gachibowli areas complain that after the footpaths were cleared, the officials failed to rebuild and make them convenient for pedestrians.