Newly constructed footpaths encroached in Srinagar

Srinagar, Nov 17: The newly constructed footpaths by the Srinagar Smart City Ltd (SSCL) have been turned into parking lots in the absence of regulation.

The encroachment of footpaths has severely affected the movement of pedestrians forcing them to walk on road.

The pedestrians said that as authorities have invested crores of rupees in constructing footpaths, erring vehicle owners have turned these into personal parking spaces across the city. They said most of the footpaths at Batamaloo, Chattabal, Hazratbal, Nowhatta, Karan Nagar, Khanyar and Nowhatta been occupied by these vehicles.

“This is really unfortunate that some people have no civic sense. This issue also risks lives of pedestrians who are forced to walk on busy roads. These new footpaths have much more space and the same is being used by vehicle owners for parking,” said Irshad Ahmad, a resident of Batamaloo. The locals said that shopkeepers have already encroached upon these footpaths and now vehicle owners are doing the same. They said that strict action should be taken by authorities against such vehicle owners.

An official said that some footpaths are yet to be completed, and these are already occupied. He said there are still tiles and materials, and work is in progress at some places. “At times, parking of vehicles damages property like tiles, cobblestone, etc. This also hinders the work as at many places the footpaths are left with final touches,” said an official.

The locals said that pedestrians are at risk of accidents as footpaths are occupied and they have to walk on the busy roads. To mention several accidents over the past few years resulted in the deaths of pedestrians following the lack of footpaths and encroached footpaths. A senior official from SSCL, while acknowledging the issue, said that they are aware of the issue and necessary action will be taken in this regard.

“Our staff on the ground have shared details with us about this issue where many newly laid footpaths are occupied by heavy and light vehicles. This is also a safety concern for the pedestrians, and we will take necessary action in this regard,” he said.