Insanity grips BMP

Special footpaths for Basavanagudi
New INdian Express

BANGALORE: New Year, new footpaths. That is Brand Basavanagudi. It is not banners of new year sales that greet visitors to this old residential area ones about safe footpaths that are coming up.

The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) has taken up a special project to improve footpaths in six wards in the Basavanagudi Assembly constituency.

As part of a Subhadra Footpath (safe footpath) project, the BMP is paving footpaths with granite slabs and tiles to enhance their looks and ensure durability. “Many major roads, including, DVG Road, Shankarapura Main Road, 50 Feet Road and 5th Cross Banshankari Road in Basavanagudi will be covered under the project,”said Basavanagudi MLA K Chandrashekhar.

He told the this website’s newspaper that the project would be implemented in four phases and completed by the end of 2006. “It will change the appearance of Basavanagudi,” he claimed.

The project will not only provide good walkways and safety to pedestrians, but will also ensure smooth movement of vehicular traffic. That apart, work has also been taken up to cover drainage in the area with slabs. That will increase the width of roads and provide extra parking space.

“All these projects have been taken up along with the master plan,” he added. They are being implemented with MLA fund, Footpath fund, Traffic Management Grant and funds under various other heads.

The new project will help people in Kempegowda Nagar, V V Puram, Basavanagudi, Hanumantnagar, Srinagar and Ganesh Mandir wards of the BMP.

With the enormous growth of the City and huge increase in vehicle population, most footpaths have either been encroached upon or have been almost merged with roads.

Footpaths in many areas are in a bad shape and people are forced to walk on roads, where they endanger their lives. Every year, hundreds of pedestrians are killed in accidents on the city roads.