Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad   

Pavements in Hubli are for vendors, not for pedestrians

Girish S. Pattanashetti

Traders encroach on newly-laid pavements in Hubli-Dharwad

DANGEROUS: With footpaths in Hubli-Dharwad encroached upon by vendors, people are forced to walk on the road.

HUBLI: What are footpaths meant for? If you ask the residents of Hubli-Dharwad, the answer is likely to be: "They are for vendors to sell their goods, for parking vehicles, for keeping sign boards... And if at all there is any space left, then for the use of pedestrians."

Just a year ago, there were no footpaths, except for one or two roads.

The Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation launched a drive to clear encroachments on corporation land. Several structures in the twin cities were either demolished completely or partially to get back what once belonged to the corporation and subsequently used by "self-declared owners." Having cleared the encroached area, the corporation had a major task of retaining the retrieved land and reconstruction, which was taken up on a war-footing.

And thus began the construction of footpaths on those roads where the demolition drive was conducted. Close on the heels of the construction of footpaths began road development works, and as a result many of the roads got a new look within months.

Laying of footpaths has been completed on a majority of roads where the demolition drive was taken up.

But what could have proved useful for the general public is putting them to hardships now. Although the roads look neat and their area has widened following clearance of encroachments, pedestrians hardly have space on the footpaths to walk on.

On busy commercial areas such as Brindavan Circle leading to Dajibanpet, pedestrians are forced to walk on the road. Vendors of vegetables and fruits have encroached on the footpath.

Shopkeepers keep various signboards related to their business on the footpaths obstructing the movement of pedestrians. On some places such as the Koppikar Road entrance, where the footpaths are just three-foot wide, the doors of shops protrude on the road obstructing the movement of pedestrians. Only on footpaths that are wider such as the one on Lamington Road, pedestrians can find some space to walk despite the presence of vendors.

Soon after the footpaths were completed, incidences of encroachment by vendors were brought to the notice of both the corporation and police authorities.

Following a request from the corporation authorities, police declared an area of 300 metres around the Kittur Rani Chennamma Circle as "no-hawking zone" and warned the vendors against encroaching the footpaths.

Initially, the police cleared the footpaths seizing the goods and the vendors were penalised. Later, the vendors reappeared encroaching the footpaths.

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