Participants in the Walkaluru footpath campaign. Image: Supplied
Bengaluru: Bengaluru North City Corporation has set itself a Deepavali deadline for its footpaths, and a citizen group has begun walking them to check whether stretches already reclaimed from encroachment are actually safe to use.
Project Walkaluru launched its ‘Walkaluru Safe 1,000 KM Footpath Challenge’ in the corporation’s limits on November 1 with an 11-km Kannada Rajyotsava footpath walk along Thanisandra Main Road. More than 1,000 km of footpaths have already been cleared of encroachments and restored under the Greater Bengaluru Authority’s Safe Footpaths Campaign, the corporation said; the challenge aims to assess how safe those footpaths are.
Pallavi, Joint Commissioner of Bengaluru North City Corporation, flagged off the campaign and joined the inaugural walk.
What the walkers recorded
Along the route, the team photographed obstacles and problems that hinder pedestrians and collected details on them. It also recorded improvements and repair works that had already been carried out, and discussed issues that need coordination between departments as well as those that may call for innovative solutions in specific situations.
Report, action and a return walk
A comprehensive report based on the inspection will be prepared and submitted to the corporation, and necessary action will be taken on its findings, according to the corporation. The team will walk the same route again after a few weeks to review the action taken.
The 100-km Deepavali target
Bengaluru North City Corporation has set a target of improving 100 km of footpaths within its jurisdiction by Deepavali, according to the corporation.
Commissioner Pommala Sunil Kumar welcomed citizens joining the corporation’s efforts to provide safe footpaths and said reports and suggestions submitted by citizens would be taken seriously and necessary action initiated.
Arun Pai, coordinator of Project Walkaluru, said the first phase aims to conduct inspection walks along at least 100 km of footpaths in each city corporation, on routes to be identified by the respective corporation commissioners. The campaign seeks to support the GBA’s vision of a pedestrian-friendly city through active citizen participation, he said.
The campaign will continue with citizens, experts and corporation officials, with the aim of improving pedestrian safety, smoother movement and footpaths accessible to everyone. Engineers, maintenance contractors, urban planners and citizen volunteers took part in the programme.
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Atul Chaturvedi