Hyderabad: Despite the Telangana high court pulling up civic authorities over widespread footpath encroachments across Hyderabad, a TOI visit to several major locations found little change on the ground..From Secunderabad to Gachibowli, footpaths meant for pedestrians remained either inaccessible or heavily encroached, forcing many to walk amid moving traffic. Near Secunderabad railway station, large stretches of the footpath were occupied by clothing shops, temporary pan stalls and mobile accessory vendors.“I walk from the bus stand to the Metro station every day. Once, when I complained about the lack of walking space because of encroachments, a few stall owners ganged up on me and became aggressive. I also twisted my ankle once because of the uneven footpath,” said 32-year-old Anush Kumar.A TOI visit to Gachibowli, Financial District, Nanakramguda and Banjara Hills revealed similar problems in several parts of the city..In Cyberabad’s office hubs, residents said temporary food stalls and roadside establishments continue to occupy footpaths despite heavy pedestrian movement..“In recent years, many tiffin stalls and temporary settlements have come up here, backed by local politicians. If the authorities really want proper walkable spaces, they can take action against them, but they don’t,” said Mahesh, a 50-year-old resident of Gachibowli.Vasu, 29, who works at one of the MNCs in Financial District, said sanitation and pedestrian safety remained major concerns. “People urinate on footpaths, causing a foul smell and making it uncomfortable for passersby. There should also be pedestrian walk signals at places where large numbers of people cross during office hours,” he said.In Banjara Hills, one of the city’s most sought-after localities, pedestrians continued to face difficulties due to poorly planned walkways despite ongoing infrastructure works. “Some walkways have been built around trees, which is a good thing. But poles and non-functional streetlights on the footpath make it difficult for people to walk safely,” said 23-year-old resident Manasa Gangothri.GHMC officials, however, asserted that action has been taken following the high court’s order. “The GHMC has cleared encroachments from nearly 30 to 40 footpaths across the city. While footpath clearance and refurbishment had slowed in recent years, the corporation has now intensified the work,” said a senior official from the GHMC’s town planning wing.
