BMC kickstarts footpath redevelopment work in South Mumbai

Mumbai: In a bid to improve the city’s walkability spaces and to make its existing footpaths pedestrian-friendly, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) kick-started the restoration of footpaths in two heritage precinct areas in South Mumbai.

As part of this project, the BMC is set to improve a 3.5-kilometer stretch which will cover the Churchgate Pedestrian Plaza, The Regal Traffic node, and the footpaths in the Metro Junction.

According to senior civic officials, these footpaths are being newly constructed by removing the existing paver blocks. The officials also said that the newly constructed footpaths will be upgraded to meet today’s demands.

The BMC will install road signages, add furniture, and modernised bus shelters on the footpaths. Civic officials added, that illegal encroachments will be completely removed, and the entire periphery will be decluttered.

“The new footpaths will be created using cast-in-situ concrete and the existing paver blocks will be removed. The new footpaths will be uniform and long-lasting. The level of footpaths will also be merged with the main carriageway of the road so that it becomes wheelchair-friendly,” said a senior official.

The project was proposed by the BMC last year. Earlier in 2020, the civic roads department carried out a pilot project of developing the footpath with concrete that was taken up near the National Gallery of Modern Arts (NGMA). The officials said that the maintenance of paver block footpaths is higher when compared to the ones that were made with concrete.

“The paver blocks get detached easily which makes the surface uneven. These footpaths will be long-lasting and have been designed in a way to promote universal accessibility,” the officials said.

On Monday, Aaditya Thackeray, state minister of environment and tourism, visited the site and carried out a groundbreaking ceremony. He tweeted, “To enhance ease of mobility in one of the busiest locations in Mumbai, laid the foundation for developing a pedestrian plaza near Churchgate station. This multi-modal pedestrian-friendly area will serve over 30 lakh Mumbaikars daily.”

“Equipped with designated spots for bus stops, BEST buses, cabs, food stalls, and toilets, this plaza will smoothen the flow of traffic and movement through tactical urban interventions,” informed his tweet.

Besides this, the cabinet minister also inaugurated restoration of a century old Pyaau (Water Fountain) at Azad Maidan.

BMC to open 24 libraries in civic gardens

The BMC Garden department on Tuesday inaugurated a library at the Cooperage Bandstand Garden in Colaba on Tuesday. In the next one month, the garden cell of the BMC has decided to open 24 libraries in 24 civic gardens in several municipal wards.