Garbage, roads: Central city corpn chief's work cut out

GBA data shows only 8% of 3,500-km network safe to walk on

- BOSKY KHANNA @Bengaluru

BENGALUREANS' dream of having a safe, unhindered walk on the city's footpaths is likely to remain just that for a long time, irrespective of whether the corporation is called 'Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike' (BBMP) or 'Greater Bengaluru Authority' (GBA).

Lack of funds, their improper utilisation for maintenance, and lack of interest in inter-agency coordination are being blamed for Bengalureans being deprived of the basic need for safe pedestrian mobility.

According to the data with the authority's engineering section, only 8% of the total 3,500-km footpath network in the city, or about 280 km, is in good condition. And there is no guarantee that the number will not reduce further.

Worse, even on the 8% of "good" footpaths that exist in the city, the apathy of the civic agencies, lack of enforcement, and the absence of civic discipline among citizens ensures that the walkways are plagued with encroachments, dangling electric wires, piles of garbage, silt cleared from drains, and public urination spots.