Study to highlight Mysuru’s footpath woes; MGP to seek solutions

A student-led study on the condition of footpaths across Mysuru has made some preliminary recommendations to improve pedestrian infrastructure and accessibility, along with inputs on ensuring safe and unobstructed footpaths. The findings have prompted the Mysuru Grahakara Parishat (MGP) to dedicate its monthly meeting on June 14 to the issue of reclaiming footpaths for pedestrians.

The meeting, titled ‘Giving footpaths back to pedestrians’, will feature preliminary findings from the ongoing study being conducted by students on the latest status of footpaths in the city. The discussion will be initiated by H.S. Champa, dean, Mysuru School of Architecture. The findings are expected to highlight challenges ranging from encroachments and inadequate pedestrian facilities to barriers affecting approachability.

The meeting will also deliberate on the implementation of the recent Supreme Court judgment that reaffirms safe, unobstructed and disability-friendly footpaths as a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution. The apex court ordered a nationwide audit of footpaths in 50 cities last October following concerns over pedestrian safety, according to the MGP.

MGP, in a release, noted that pedestrians accounted for 35,221 of the 1,72,890 road accident deaths recorded in India in 2023, with many fatalities linked to the absence of footpaths, blocked pavements and inadequate pedestrian crossings.

The organisation cited local incidents, including the death of a senior citizen who was run over by a KSRTC bus near Vivekananda Circle last year and the death of a four-year-old boy after hot oil from a vendor’s stove splashed on him from an encroached footpath in N.R. Mohalla.

Representatives from the Police Department and Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) are expected to participate in the meeting and discuss measures to remove encroachments, prevent vehicle parking on footpaths, and relocate authorised street vendors. The meeting will be held at the MGP office on Vivekananda Road in Yadavagiri at 4 p.m. on June 14, the release added.