GHMC to lay footpaths on through roads

Footpaths to be provided on stretches up to 10 kilometres in each zone

The GHMC is taking up a project to develop footpaths on major internal roads in the city, where the roads are wide enough to accommodate pedestrian facilities.

Following instructions from Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) K. T. Rama Rao, the corporation officials decided to begin the initiative by providing footpaths on stretches up to 10 kilometres in each zone.

Zonal officials directed

Directions were issued to zonal officials to identify stretches up to 10 km in their purview where footpaths can be laid. Already, proposals were made in five zones for over 60 km road length, officials said.

All these roads would be outside the stretches identified for Comprehensive Road Maintenance Contract, because, once privatised, construction and maintenance of footpaths too would be the responsibility of the contracting agency.

“We have chosen major through roads which do not lead to a dead end, for the purpose of laying pavements. The footpaths will be broad enough, with two to three metres of width,” said a senior official.

Recycled plastic tiles

The corporation was also planning to use recycled plastic tiles for footpaths on a few of these stretches.

The GHMC has a road length of 9,100 km, of which 800 km are four-lane roads for which footpaths on both sides are mandatory. For the 1,600 km, the GHMC could build only about 430 km of pavements.

On several stretches, they are an apology for a footpath, with width restricted to less than a metre. Wherever footpaths are wider, they are invariably occupied by several obstructions, such as trees, poles and public toilets, apart from encroachments by commercial establishments.

Thanks to the Hyderabad Metro Rail’s initiative, the city now has wider footpaths at least on some stretches near a few metro rail stations.

Earlier attempt failed

An earlier attempt to lay footpaths on stretches where road re-carpeting works had been taken up had failed, as the required funding was not forthcoming from the State government.