Foundation Started on Dec 5th

We have on Dec 5th started the Right to Walk Foundation. The Right To Walk Foundation has been created to create awareness and fight for the Right To Walk on the pavements amongst the citizens of Hyderabad.

We find that the pavements are taken over by a number of people. People park their vehicles on them, hawkers sell their wares keeping their ‘bandis’ on them and the worst thing is that people use the pavements as a ‘urinating place’.


Join Us in the Fight for the Right to Walk by Posting your comments on the blog.

Article published by the CSE in June 2006

This article was published by the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi in June 2006.

Response to my E mails from the GHMC office

There has been no change in the nature of the E mail responses from the GHMC authorities. I have been E mailing them regularly and also calling them up but so far no action is taken.

Nov 16th

Smt. Kannan Garu,
The representation along with the endorsement of the Addl. Commissioner ofPolice, Traffic, Hyd., Sri V.S.K.Kaumudi, IPS was also been sent to theAddl. Commissioner (Planning), GHMC, vide this office outward No.742/3,dt.16-11-2007 for immediate action.
Thank you
with regards,
C&SOGHMC.

Oct 22nd

Smt. Kannan Garu
Thank you very much for bring the matter to the notice of the Commissioner& Special Officer regarding encroachments of payment at Mehdipatnam. Thesame has been forwarded to the Zonal Commissioner (Central Zone), GHMC fortaking appropriate action in the matter duly intimating the same to you.You are also requested to be contact with the ZC (Central Zone) on hermobile No.99499-94035 for further information.
Thank you
with regards
c&soghmc

Response to my E mails from ACP : Oct 20th to Nov 20th

These are E mail responses from the ACP. Nothing much has changed but at least the ACP responds to E mails and in fact even picks up his mobile. He is very keen to get rid of the mess but I think that he is waiting for the right time.

Nov 5th
Dear Madam,
Ref: Mail No. 272/2007
Thanks for your mail.

Efforts are being made to free the roads and footpaths of encroachments. Notices have already been served on the concerned for vacating the place.

Regards,
V.S.K.Kaumudi, I.P.S.,Addl. Commissioner of Police, Traffic,Hyderabad.

Oct 25th
Dear Madam,
Ref: Mail No. 264/2007
Thanks for your mail.
I have already instructed the ACP to see that commercial vehicles do not permanently grab parking place. Let me know if things don’t improve in a week.


Regards,
V.S.K.Kaumudi, I.P.S.,Addl. Commissioner of Police, Traffic,Hyderabad.NB: In future, please refer to the Mail No. allotted above.


Oct 24th
Dear Madam,
Ref: Mail Nos. 255, 257 & 260/2007
Thanks for your mails.
The matter has been examined. GHMC has been informed about the alleged illegal construction and encroachments on the pavement for appropriate action.

Regards,
V.S.K.Kaumudi, I.P.S.,Addl. Commissioner of Police, Traffic,Hyderabad.

Efforts made in the last two days : Nov 20th and 21st

I have contacted the 'Forum for Better Hyderabad' . I had sent them an E mail with regard to the conditions of pavements and also I have spoken to a few people from the organisation. I think that they are willing to take this up as a cause and fight for the pavements.

I have also contacted APSTRC. I have been reading in the papers that a number of pedestrains have been moved to death in the last couple of days by the buses. It is not that the bus drivers want to kill people. They are responsible human beings who want to save lives as much as possible. Today driving in the city has become a major problem and a health hazard for the drivers. Pedestrains too do not walk on the road because they want to get killed. They are compelled to do so because of the pavements being either dirty or encroached upon by hawkers or pavements being used for parking purposes.
The APSTRC ( Andhra Pradesh Road Transport)official seemed to interested to take up this cause and has said that he would get back to me.

My dream for Hyderabad

My dream is that the pavements of Mehdipatnam should become like a US town, (clean and fit for walking). Most of the pavements here are either encroached by people parking their vehicles on them or by people using them as a urinating place. Also I believe that the common man needs to be able to walk in his own part of the locality and not need to go to some park or fancy club. India is home to the largest number of diabetics and I think that the only solution to this is to help people walk from one place to another.
Pollution in India is reaching new heights thanks to the autos that have proliferated the towns. Instead of using autos for short distances if people could walk, the pollution levels are definitely going to come down.

I do know that this is not easy to achieve but I am going to give it a try for the next 20 years at least. My first job is to find out whether there are similar minded organisations that are already working for pavements in Hyderabad. Then net work with such people and then go ahead.

I have for the past 3 years tried to give petitions and also I have filed a PIL (Public interest litigation) in the High Court. None of this has worked. So I need to rework my plan and get it going.

Pavements Oct 13th: New structures come up

On Oct 11th, the green tree on the pavement had a structure built around it. Was anybody concerned? Not to my knowledge. I have mailed the Additional commissioner of Police, ( Mr. Kaumudi) on Oct 15th and yet no response from the police department. One wonders, how a structure on the main road escapes the notice of the authorities? Or does it really escape them? I have on Oct 16th mailed the commissioner of GHMC ( Mr. Sarma). Hope to get a reply from him.

Pavements or Parking Space, Does Anyone Care?

Is there a pavement in front of the mobile store? Your guess is as good as mine. This store was opened only a year ago without any arrangements for parking. Why have parking space when the entire pavements are there to park?

Is this a pavement? God help us!!!

Imagine!!! This is the pavement right next to Rhythu bazaar (a place where farmers sell their produce directly to customers). This bazaar is closed on Tuesdays and these farmers sit on these pavements and sell their produce.
Is the sense of hygiene missing completely? Or is it the fact that only the poor come here to buy and the total indifference to the health of the poor?

Photographs of the pavement Oct 8th 2007 and Oct 12th 2006

The last photograph was taken by me on Oct 12th 2006 and submitted to the Municipal Commissioner of Hyderabad on Oct 24 2006 along with several others of the same area. The first two were taken on Oct 8th 2007 and the comparison clearly shows how a travel group has taken over the complete pavement where earlier he had occupied a part of the road. This despite the fact that the pavements are along the main road leading from Mehdipatnam to Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital. The question is, 'Where can people walk?'

MCH comm: Oct 24th 2006, Pavements in Mehidipatnam ( Hyderabad)

From
Kanthimathi Kannan

Date: Oct 24th 2006

The Municipal Commissioner
Hyderabad


Sub: Pavements in Mehdipatnam

Respected Sir
Let me on behalf of all the residents of the Mehdipatnam area thank you for providing us with a very beautiful Foot over Bridge. Unfortunately this is not much used and everyone crosses the road as per his or her wishes.
I had on February 5th, 2005 and Sept 27th 2005 given letters regarding the appalling conditions of the pavements in Mehdipatnam. There have been several drives to clear pavements in the past year to clear the pavements of encroachments but none of them have really worked. For example, in Dec 2005, when there was a Congress Session at Gachibowli stadium, all the pavements were cleared and the roads looked really broad and clean too.

What is the real issue of the pavements?
In some places it is wide but people urinate on it and also on the road there are a number of vans/ cars that are parked all the time and the pedestrians are put to a lot of trouble. (Exhibit 1, 2)
In some places as shown in the photographs (Exhibit 3), it is occupied by vendors
The bus stops are very crowded and hence people are forced to use the road as a pavement.
The pavements are also used as parking lots. (Exhibits 4, 5 and 6)
There are new constructions coming up in the area that do not have proper parking space. These new constructions in the past year include huge buildings that have the HDFC bank, ICICI bank, Railway reservation counter among others. What happens is that since there is not adequate space for parking inside these complexes, vehicles take up the road space to park. This in turn leads to a lot of confusion on the road.
The pavements also have dangerous electrical equipment.
MCH has built urinals but there are no pavements alongside it


Why do we need pavements?
For walking safely
More people will use the public transport system if pavements are made safe and walk able. Studies have shown that Hyderabad is among the few cities where usage of the public transport system is dropping each year. This results also in a rise in private vehicles that in turn leads to higher pollution levels.

Sir, could you kindly look into the matter and make the pavements of Mehdipatnam ‘walk able’?



Thanking You

Yours faithfully

Kanthimathi Kannan


Enclosures: Letters sent to MCH (dated Feb 5th 2005 and Sept 27th 2005); also photographs taken in Mehdipatnam area.