Is it a Foot Path or a Death Trap?- Not Smart!

By
Violet Pereira, Mangaluru. Team Mangalorean.
-
Spread the love

Is it a Foot Path or a Death Trap?- Not Smart!

Mangaluru: Looking at the following photos, you will find out how unsafe is it to use this newly built footpath on Bendore Road (in between St Agnes College and St Teresa High School-Bendore)-to be specific in front of one of the Managing Directors of Bharath Beedies Works- there is a huge opening at the end of this footpath, that while walking after dark on this pathway may land you inside the drain, resulting in severe injuries or even death. Many walk on this footpath, including students going to St Agnes and St Theresa’s – and it is not safe at all. But has MCC officials looked into the safety issues of this footpath- I guess not. They will only wake up and rectify the issue, once someone gets injured or when a life is lost. Do the city officials ever bother to look at the civic work that has been taken-up-I guess not? So we have all these incomplete and hazardous footpaths and streets.

image001footpath-mangalorean-com-20161208-001 image002footpath-mangalorean-com-20161208-002 image003footpath-mangalorean-com-20161208-003

Have you seen any pedestrian walking on the footpath in the city- for all these years people have been so used to walk on the streets that they are reluctant to use the pathway- and also for the reason pedestrians feel that walking on the streets with caution is much safer than using the city footpaths. The condition of the footpaths is so poor, that most of the places the street vendors have encroached, people constructing house use the footpaths for dumping all the construction material. People use footpaths to park their vehicles, some have developed nice gardens on footpaths and shop owners, they would use every inch available in front of their shops. Footpaths are for daring people who can manoeuvre the open drains, sand pits, big potholes, other obstacles and parked vehicles. But I sometimes during my morning walk, use the city footpaths because I believe “Darr ke aage jeet hai”. The city administration should make sure that they construct footpaths of safe standards and pedestrian friendly, otherwise, few years from now, even archaeological survey of India would struggle to find where was the footpath.

image004footpath-mangalorean-com-20161208-004 image005footpath-mangalorean-com-20161208-005 image006footpath-mangalorean-com-20161208-006

Another major problem facing the commuters/pedestrians is that, when the roads are dug for concretization the city’s footpaths take a severe beating. Some footpaths in city’s main thoroughfares have vanished pushing the pedestrians into direct confrontation with the city’s killer public transport system. This education hub is now like a middle-aged bachelor, with the government and MCC trying to dress him up with all sorts of cosmetics while the vital aspects are being sidelined. With half the city being dug up for one or the other reason the traffic appear to be going haywire while the pedestrians are scampering for safety.

Mangaluru has a dubious reputation for being the most unsafe city for pedestrians. Nobody has investigated into that so there is no official document available for gauging the level of discomfort for the pedestrian but the way the city is dug up at present it is evident to the naked eye the violation of safety of pedestrians. School children, young and old folks, ladies and gentlemen are the most susceptible. They come onto the road to escape the dug up areas endangering their safety. It is a carnage out there.

image007footpath-mangalorean-com-20161208-007 image008footpath-mangalorean-com-20161208-008

What is the condition of the footpath that you trudge on? Just look at some of the perils of walking on Mangaluru’s footpaths. A description of a footpath says- A path for pedestrians in a built-up area; a pavement. A path for people to walk along. But if Mangaluru’s footpaths could talk, they’d have many a tale to tell. Perhaps about the mounds of garbage that are dumped on them… Or about people pitching camp to sell their wares, or sometimes even build their homes. While some could claim that they have sent people to the hospital with injuries, some others would state that they have claimed lives! Even today, when there is so much conversation about road safety, and despite pedestrians being at the fore of this conversation, many roads do not have footpaths. Or even if they are present, they are not usable, either because of defects in the structure, or because somebody has decided to set up shop on the footpath. So why even bother to build footpaths which are not safe and pedestrian friendly? Why unnecessary spend tax payers money on something that is not usable?

Also Read Related Articles by the Author Below:


Spread the love

5 Comments

  1. Mangalorean.com is the only news site that cares about the city and bring to light the most important details that affect the common man. Someday our officials may wake up.
    Keep going team Mangalorean.com

  2. Most of cities in India are full of digs & pit holes. Where the hell is our tax money are being used?
    I personally remember sometime back a foreigner, who does not believe in GOD visited India. After spending few days ,he said there must be a GOD otherwise its impossible to be a country like India.

  3. Mr Alfie, Corrupt Corporators + Corrupt Engineers + Corrupt Contractors + Banner Politicians = Smart City
    The picture shows only one spot and you are missing a thousand others. Look at the footpath near PVS Building and Kodialbail Circle where a Senior Citizen fell into the gutter in front of Me and the Traffic Police. I called 24 hour Emergency Line. Weeks passed and the hole is still open.
    Good one to notice in front of City Hospital and Govt. Clinic where the footpath ends into a 8 ft. deep hole. As per a Clinic employee, a person fell in it but survived the death call. Two years back I got AAP Party members to notice this and they did whatever they can, but stupid Engineer of the MCC did not care a damn. The hole is still open and waiting for a death.

    Look at the deep hole in Parking Lot of KUDCEMP Building near PET HUT Store. My car fell into that hole 2 days back and was lifted up by helpful Youngsters. Local banner Corporator could not see this even though His office is in that building. Pet Hut Employee told me along with another Person that few vehicles have fallen into that hole.
    This is nothing but waiting for Corruption to fill the Pocket.

  4. Its These Eye Opening -Whistle Blowing Articles By Dear ALFIE, that makes mangalorean.com the Web Portal that it is. Be it The Roads or the Health Related issues, Care of the Elders, Children’s Welfare, Or Destitute Care Or Alzheimer’s Dementia Affected people., This Madam Violet Pereira’s Web Portal Creates Public Awareness and urges action to be Taken. Hope this Eye Opener Article, will bring the necessary ACTION. Wishing Dear ALFIE and Madam Violet and everyone at mangalorean.com A Great Christmas Month and Mood much Ahead….HAPPY TIMES are round the corner. THANKS for all your Great Work, right through the Year. ..Love and Regards– Jerardin D’souza – Founder – MAA- Mangalore Alzheimer’s Association

  5. Alfie, my man-you simply rock! I wish others follow your footsteps and highlight the civic issues that are haunting the the so called “Smart City???”

    Thanks a million mangalorean.com- for being non-bias and straight forward. Keep up the good work

Comments are closed.