BMC Clears 68 Km Of Footpaths Under ‘Pedestrians First’ Drive, 443 Encroachment Actions Taken

Mumbai's BMC has cleared 68 kilometers of footpaths under its 'Pedestrians First' initiative, taking 443 enforcement actions since its inception on August 1. The drive focuses on footpaths that lead to key areas such as railway and Metro stations, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, civic and government offices, religious sites, and high-traffic locations.

Despite some corporators questioning the ground-level execution, the civic body is persisting with the encroachment crackdown. The initiative targets footpaths that connect important areas, clearing encroachments, unauthorized structures, hawker stalls, stored materials, signage, banners, and other obstacles to ensure safe and unobstructed pedestrian movement.

The BMC has taken 337 actions in the first two weeks of the campaign, removing 77 unauthorized structures and 112 unauthorized hawkers, along with 49 street furniture items, 63 storage materials, 27 shop signboards, 14 signboards, and 49 banners that obstruct footpaths. The drive also involves rectifying 25 structures that adjoin authorized shops, repairing 8 footpaths, and removing 8 unauthorized parking spaces that obstruct pedestrian movement.

The BMC will continuously monitor footpaths, with at least 90% inspected monthly, and ensure that cleared footpaths are not re-encroached. The safety of pedestrians remains a significant concern, as they account for 44% of Mumbai's road accident fatalities in 2023. While the BMC's actions are welcome, experts argue that sustained monitoring and strict enforcement are necessary to prevent encroachments from recurring.