Senior citizens of Hughes Road, near the Kemps Corner flyover, have complained of inconvenience they face due to the crammed footpath. Last year, in August, BG Kher Road, which joins Hughes Road, Napeansea Road and Pedder Road in Malabar Hill, was shut following a landslide in the area. A retaining wall had collapsed, causing the landslide. Due to ongoing construction work, only the south-bound arm is open for vehicular movement. The opposite side has been shut.
Residents said that the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has raised barricades on the side of the road where the wall is being repaired. Meanwhile, on the opposite side, mud and debris has been dumped on the footpath, which has caused inconvenience to passerbys.
"The footpath has become uneven and it becomes difficult for senior citizens to walk on the footpath," said Chetan Sethna, a senior citizen living at Garden View at Hughes Road. Sethna said, two days back, there was a water cut in his area. They had called for private tankers to restore the water supply. However, due to the bad road conditions, the water tanker couldn't enter the premises. "No cars can come and go out of the compound due to the poor condition of the road. All the other adjoining buildings are also having the same problem," he added.
"Due to the uneven footpath, passerbys have to walk on the road. If they are hit by a vehicle, who will bear the responsibility for it?" questioned Sethna.
Meanwhile, BMC officials have said that they have kept the footpath on the opposite side clean and have only blocked the footpath on the side where repairs have been initiated. "We have undertaken repairs there. The underwater drainage system is also being checked, as the water supply in many parts were damaged following the landslide," said a senior civic official of this ward. "However, normalcy will be restored and we hope to clear all the debris soon," said the official.
