Our pavements have been taken over by encroachers, whether they are small stalls, mechanic shops or other sundry commercial outlets, while our roads have become a battleground for pedestrians and traffic, with the former suffering and the latter riding bumper to bumper.

In a scenario like this, saving what we can of our public spaces assumes even greater importance. A report in this paper yesterday showed how the ingenuity of this city of enterprise could sometimes be used in crooked ways. There is a container-like structure on the Jerbai Wadia road in Bhoiwada, which has been operating as a bar since 2008. It has come up on a footpath after a slum rehabilitation project got mired in red tape and the bar owner did not get the place he was promised.