Pavements go missing

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">HYDERABAD: If one considers repair shops, push carts and kiosks as villains on the roads obstructing traffic, these have only taken shelter on the structures put up by the government.<br /><br />Pedestrians seem to be the most ignored lot by urban planners and civic agencies while they take up several developmental activities in the city.This negligence has in turn thrown pedestrians to the mercy of vehicular traffic which has led to many fatal accidents in the recent past.<br /><br />For instance, out of 3,099 accidents that occurred between January 1, 2003 to November 30, 2003 in the city, as many as 1,219 involved pedestrians.<br /><br />Though the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) officials maintain that it is difficult to provide space for pedestrians in different parts of the city, construction of public urinals and installation of transformers on footpaths have usurped even the meagre pathway available for pedestrians. Also, during road widening spree, many pavements disappeared in areas marked with heavy pedestrian traffic.<br /><br />Likewise, the civic body had built about 150 urinals on footpaths. It added another 70 modern urinals recently and most of them stand imposingly on footpaths.<br /><br />"It is difficult to convince residents to part with some space for setting up toilets inside their compound wall, therefore MCH has no alternative but to construct them on footpaths," an MCH official said.<br /><br />Wherever MCH land is available it has constructed toilets within compound walls, thus sparing footpaths, he said. Added to that are increasing number of flyovers which have engulfed footpaths.<br /><br />Even the existing pavements are not more than half a meter in width. The ‘Clean and Green'' programme has also helped make it worse. Saplings are planted right in the centre with a tree guard around them, thus eating up almost half the area of footpaths.<br /><br />Justifying that, a corporation official said that would at least prevent shopkeepers and hawkers from encroaching footpaths. Another major encroacher of footpaths is Central Power Distribution Company Limited. The department has roughly installed about 8000 transformers on footpaths. "Transformers are the biggest impediments for pedestrians." A Raguvasu of Punjagutta said.<br /><br />It is rather unfortunate that pedestrians are not treated as an integral part of the transportation planning process, he added.<br /><br /><formid=526372></formid=526372></div> </div>