Anti-Encroachment Drives Fail to Reclaim Footpaths

The ongoing encroachment removal drives by municipal corporations in the Core Urban Region Economy (CURE) area have brought little relief to pedestrians, who continue to be forced onto the edges of busy roads as footpaths remain occupied, damaged or unusable.

According to the state government’s Socio-Economic Outlook 2024, the erstwhile GHMC area has a road network of 9,013 km but only about 850 km of footpaths, amounting to less than 10 per cent of the total road length. The situation is much the same in the Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC) and Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation (MMC) limits.

Footpaths across the city are encroached upon by temporary and permanent stalls, eateries, street vendors and hawkers. Shops extend ramps and roofs onto pavements, while some establishments use them for seating or displaying products. Where commercial establishments leave footpaths free, parked cars and two-wheelers occupy the space, leaving pedestrians with nowhere to walk. In several places, pruned tree branches, garbage and construction material further obstruct the walkways.

Public transport users complained that city roads appeared to cater primarily to motor vehicles. “Only a few Metro stations have protected footpaths with grills and other safety measures. Pedestrian safety remains a distant dream,” said Pallam Ravi, an employee of an IT company.

Cyclists echoed the concern, pointing to the lack of dedicated infrastructure and safety measures for both pedestrians and cyclists.

Among the worst-affected locations are the footpaths outside Secunderabad Railway Station and adjoining Rathifile Bus Station, where pedestrians alleged that pavements meant for public use had been taken over by South Central Railway and Hyderabad Metro Rail works, vendors and shopkeepers.

With little or no space left for walking, commuters are forced onto busy roads amid heavy traffic. Residents said a journey that should normally take about 10 minutes often takes twice as long because of congestion and obstructions, subjecting pedestrians to avoidable exhaustion and delays.

Serilingampally, including the IT corridor, is another major trouble spot. Footpaths near Hitec City, Yousufguda and Ameerpet Metro stations, Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station, Jubilee Bus Station and Nampally remain heavily encroached.

Pedestrians also face difficulties at DLF Road in Gachibowli, Road No. 4 in Kukatpally Housing Board Colony, Madannapet, Falaknuma, Abids and Koti, where footpaths are either occupied by vendors or blocked by parked vehicles.

The stretch from Pista House, near the Deccan Chronicle office, to Have More Restaurant has also become hazardous for pedestrians. Two-wheelers and cars are parked along the footpath, leaving barely any space for people to walk and forcing them onto the carriageway.

A regular pedestrian said the problem had become a daily ordeal rather than an occasional inconvenience. Near Pista House, stepping off the footpath offered little relief, as the adjoining road was riddled with potholes filled with muddy water.

“Walking on the footpath often feels like risking one’s life. Even if we move onto the road, we have to negotiate potholes and muddy water. I have been facing this situation every day for years,” the pedestrian said.

Residents alleged that neither the traffic police nor GHMC officials had taken effective action despite the problem persisting for years. They also pointed out that the broken and uneven footpaths had not been repaired, leaving pedestrians to navigate damaged walkways or risk walking amid moving traffic.

Residents of Safilguda in Malkajgiri said hawkers had occupied the footpaths near the Safilguda railway gate, making it difficult for commuters to walk to the Safilguda bus stop or cross the road safely.

They also complained that vehicles parked on footpaths, food stalls and tree branches left uncleared for several days had further reduced the available walking space. In many stretches, the absence of properly laid footpaths forces people onto the road.

In West Marredpally, residents pointed to the footpath opposite Agra Sweets, where garbage dumped on the pavement and roadside had created unhygienic conditions, foul odour and attracted stray animals. They said vendors occupying the remaining space left pedestrians with barely enough room to walk safely.

On Sarojini Devi Road, residents complained that pavements had been taken over by roadside vendors, parked vehicles and even felled trees, forcing pedestrians to walk alongside moving traffic.

The situation near Sangeet Junction was particularly difficult, with two-wheeler riders frequently occupying the pavement with their engines running as pedestrians tried to make their way through the parked and idling vehicles.

Residents called for punitive action against repeat offenders and urged the authorities to “walk the talk” by ensuring that cleared footpaths remained free of encroachments.

Even where authorities conduct encroachment removal drives, stalls often return within days. A field verification found that the failure to effectively implement the street-vending policy had encouraged vendors to return to high-footfall areas.

In Mehdipatnam, Charminar, Abids, Nampally and several other parts of the city, police and municipal officials routinely shift vendors and hawkers to nearby lanes with lower pedestrian movement. However, many return to their original locations within days and, in some cases, within hours.

“How can I earn a livelihood in a place where there is little footfall?” asked a street vendor in Gudimalkapur.

Municipal officials maintained that encroachment removal drives were continuing. CMC officials cited Narsingi Circle as an example, saying establishments removed during the drive had not returned, and added that similar enforcement would continue in other parts of the city.

With inputs from Moses Kondety, Sheker Shivarathri, Rajesh Kumar Choudhary, Aparajitha Vishwas Saikumar, Pooja Chandran