Footpaths upgraded but width reduced

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InfrastructurePedestrian Infrastructure

I live in Kumarapark (BBMP Ward No 77) and i was initially pleased to see the footpaths getting a face lift. Yes Serpentine road is having spanking new machine finished granite slabs to cover the drain and make for the footpath.

We are talking 5' X 2', 3'' thick slabs! Wow, isn't that sort of expensive? bout 100 Rs per sq foot. (i was told so by the contractor) 
So why this report? I am sad to tell you that these footpaths are now 2 ft narrower and the way its being constructed looks like its not going to be usable.

Check out some pictures:

New Footpath narrower than the old one

Note the height difference that one has to step across
Check The height of the kerb in the next picture, and to accommodate for the entrances to the houses, we have a step of 1.5 ft to 1 foot every 20 feet, this makes the new footpath unusable.

Note the height difference

This picture tells you that the kerb height is almost knee height! Cars parked close to the footpath, the door may not open which means people will have to park towards the center of the road making the road appear narrower too.

Neighbors asking the contractor why this is such a bad job - while he smokes the problem away (next pic)

Neighbors explaining to the contractor

 

Contractor smokes the problem away

Existing Footpath being removed - opposite side of the road - this footpath is about 8-9 ft. I only hope this too is not going to be reduced to 5 ft.
Existing Foot path being removed

When I contacted the President of the Kumarapark resident welfare association, Mr Ramakanth he gave me the reason that we residents park our cars on the footpath which is why this high kerbs are being put up. Though there may be some truth in that, I find that terribly lame.

I was asked to contact concerned BBMP engineer No 9880580712 (Asst Engineer Ibrahim) , how ever when i called this number there was no response.  More so this solution not only makes the cars not use the footpath now the cars are going to be parked away from the footpath making the road too unusable.

I hope the concerned authorities look into this before more damage is done.

I also request other members who are more knowledgeable in this matter to throw some light on the specification for kerb sizes in residential areas if any thing like that exists.

I am happy that my locality is getting this face lift, on the other hand It also occured to me why not take up footpath works in dense pedistrian areas such as Gandhinagar or mejestic etc where the footpaths are in worse conditions.

For more pictures visit http://flickr.com/photos/...

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Praveen Sundaram
Aka
PhotoYogi