BMC chief Ashwini Bhide inspects Mumbai footpaths, orders action to clear pedestrian obstructions

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide on Monday inspected footpaths and pedestrian facilities at several locations across the Mumbai City division as part of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporationrsquos BMC ongoing Pedestrian First campaignThe inspection which lasted more than three hours covered areas in D E B C and A wards According to the BMC the exercise focused on identifying obstructions reviewing the condition of footpaths and checking ongoing repair and improvement workFootpaths pedestrian movement reviewedBhide inspected footpaths at Nana Chowk Grant Road railway station Naushir Bharucha Cross Lane Shankarshet Road and Tardeo Road in D Ward In E Ward she reviewed footpaths along Dr Anand Rao Nair Road the BYL Nair Hospital area Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road Nath Pai Road and Sant Savta RoadThe inspection also covered Lokmanya Tilak Road the Sindoor Bridge area Old Bengalipura Lane Raghunath Maharaj Street and Qazi Syed Road in B Ward In C Ward Bhide visited Jagannath Shankarshet Road Dhobitalao Lane Maharshi Karve Road Marine Lines and the Chandanwadi area In A Ward she inspected Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Mandai also known as Crawford Market and Municipal RoadBhide also visited Grant Road railway station Jagannath Shankarshet Metro station and the BYL Nair Hospital area The BMC said she directed officials to take measures to improve pedestrian movement and ensure that people can use footpaths without facing unnecessary obstaclesLicensed hawkers told to stay within permitted areasDuring the inspection Bhide personally checked the licences of authorised hawkers operating on footpaths The BMC said she instructed officials to ensure that licensed hawkers conduct their businesses only within the areas specified in their licencesThe Licensing Department was directed to inspect the space being used by licensed hawkers and take action against those found operating beyond the permitted limitsBhide also instructed civic officials to remove all forms of obstruction from footpaths and improve their accessibility The BMC said measures should also be taken to improve the condition safety and overall appearance of pedestrian pathwaysWaste collection points also inspectedThe inspection extended beyond footpaths with Bhide visiting a dry waste collection centre in E Ward the Solid Waste Management Department outpost at Reay Road and a waste collection point on Sant Savta RoadShe also inspected Garbage Vulnerable Points where waste is frequently dumped or accumulates in large quantities According to the BMC Bhide directed officials to install CCTV cameras at such locations without delay and take action against people found dumping wasteShe also instructed officials to ensure that dry waste segregation centres are properly designed and that waste bags are clearly marked according to the type of segregated material they contain The markings she said should be clearly visibleBMC asked to ensure improvements are visibleThe BMC said Bhide reviewed the progress of the Pedestrian First campaign and expressed satisfaction with the work being undertaken across the city At the same time she directed the concerned departments to implement the measures more effectively and ensure that improvements to footpaths are clearly visible and experienced by pedestrians