With the objective of prioritising pedestrians, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) recently constructed a new footpath stretch approximately 400 to 500 meters between Bhide Bridge and Kelkar Road. The work was completed last week, and residents were hopeful that the facility would benefit office-goers and citizens heading towards the riverbed.
However, within days of its completion, the footpath has been encroached. A scrap dealer has allegedly occupied the entire stretch, piling up large quantities of cables on the footpath and extracting copper wires from them. Unwanted scrap material is also being dumped on the footpath, making it unusable for pedestrians.
The citizens are concerned as several senior civic officials, including additional municipal commissioners and other officers, regularly pass through this road. Encroachment department staff and health inspectors are also frequently present in the vicinity. Despite this, no action appears to have been taken so far.
Vinay Kumar, a local resident, pointed out, "Scrap shops are generally not permitted in densely populated residential areas due to the potential fire hazard. Yet, a large scrap operation is functioning openly on the newly constructed footpath. It not only poses safety concerns but also reflects a lack of civic sense."
Ruthvik Manhas, a college-going student, said, "Foothpaths are for people to walk safely, but pedestrians in the city are forced to walk on the busy roads because the footpaths are filled with dirt and garbage. Also, they are encroached by the eateries and vendors. People are riding bikes on footpaths to save a few seconds, and yet no action is being taken against them. Foothpath in our area is newly constructed, and yet we don't get to use it as scrap waste is being dumped, and this shows that the garage owners or visitors have no fear of law and order."
Sangeeta Raut, who resides near Kelkar road, said, "Strict action should be taken against unauthorised commercial activities taking place on footpaths. These violations not only create inconvenience to pedestrians but also pose serious safety hazards. PMC puts a fine on the violators, but that's not enough; they should take some concrete action so that these violators can't get away easily. They should have a fear of law and order."
Meanwhile, Additional Commissioner, PMC, Prithviraj B P, told The Free Press Journal, "Action has been initiated against a scrap dealer near Bhide Bridge in the Deccan riverbed area through the Central Zonal Office. The scarp from the footpaths would be removed and cleared for public use."
