Pedestrians in Khairatabad forced to walk on roads amid footpath blockages

Hyderabad: Citizens of Hyderabad have raised concerns about the increasing difficulty for pedestrians to walk on footpaths that are obstructed by potted plants on a major road leading to the Ambedkar Statue. Pedestrians traveling from Khairatabad are forced to walk on the busy road due to the potted plants blocking both sides of the footpath. The public is questioning the purpose of having footpaths if they cannot be used by pedestrians.

The issue was highlighted by Sanjay (@sanjayborra) on 'X,' previously known as Twitter. He wrote, "Why build footpaths if they serve no purpose for pedestrians? This is one of the main roads that leads to the Ambedkar Statue. Pedestrians coming from Khairatabad are forced to walk on the busy street due to potted plants obstructing the footpath. #Hyderabad #sidewalk."

In response to these concerns, another citizen, UC (@menigmatix43184), pointed out that while potted plants may be removed, the issue of street vendors encroaching on footpaths and roads remains unaddressed. UC explained the need for regulation and commented, “They may remove potted plants. Will GHMC remove street vendors encroaching footpaths and roads? Will they put an end to all the illegal weekly street markets? The 'poverty and livelihood' argument is getting old. Everyone's saying it's a scam. We need regulation now. It's urgent.”

Vijay Ninel (@vijayninel) also voiced his concerns, stating, “@GHMCOnline please have these potted plants shifted so pedestrians can walk safely. It is very difficult to walk or cross roads in this area.”

Similarly, DD (@RakhdelAmdavadi) criticized the authorities for neglecting pedestrian needs, suggesting that pedestrians should obstruct traffic by walking on the road in large groups to draw attention to the issue. He said, “Pedestrians hold the lowest priority for the authorities. Pedestrians should put these potted plants on the road (let it obstruct the vehicular traffic), and make way for themselves to walk. OR, start an agitation by walking on the road in large groups obstructing the traffic.”

Other residents, like Azeem and AnandChirva, also shared their frustrations, highlighting the misuse of footpaths across the city for parking, street vendors, and other activities. Azeem remarked, “Footpaths serve no purpose in our country for walking. They are built for parking, pani puri, shop extension, etc.” AnandChirva (@anandchirva) pointed to similar problems with footpaths on routes from Kukatpally to JNTU and from Hi-Tech City to JNTU, which are also occupied by roadside vendors and plant sellers.

Responding to the concerns, the GHMC official handle acknowledged the issue and assured action. They stated, “Dear citizen, your concern is brought to the notice of concerned officials @EE_Khairatabad @DC17Khairatabad @DDKHZGHMC.”