The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), as part of its 'Mumbai Pedestrian First' drive, has stepped up efforts to make areas around railway stations in the eastern suburbs more pedestrian-friendly, with Commissioner Ashwini Bhide directing officials to prepare detailed plans for footpath and traffic management, particularly during peak hours.
Bhide issued the directions during a more than three-hour inspection of ongoing ‘Pedestrian First’ and Garbage Vulnerable Point (GVP) elimination initiatives in Mulund, Bhandup, Kanjurmarg, and Ghatkopar on Thursday.
Under the civic body’s 'Accessible Footpath Policy', the BMC is working to prioritise pedestrian movement around railway stations. Bhide said a dedicated administrative policy for station areas should be prepared to ensure coordinated planning of footpaths and road traffic.
The move is aimed at easing pedestrian movement during peak hours while improving traffic flow and accessibility around busy railway stations.
13 roads in Mulund taken up under 'Pedestrian First' campaign
In T Ward, 13 roads have been identified under the ‘Pedestrian First’ campaign, with efforts underway to remove encroachments from footpaths.
Bhide inspected the footpaths along Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Road in Mulund West, which sees significant daily movement of office-goers and college students.
She directed officials to coordinate with the engineering department to address utility-related obstacles and make the footpaths more convenient for pedestrians.
Officials were also asked to identify stretches where the campaign can be implemented effectively.
The commissioner further instructed civic officials to take strict action against hawkers operating beyond the area permitted under their licences.
94 shopkeepers in Bhandup to get alternative spaces
At Bhandup West Railway Station, Bhide directed officials to prepare a comprehensive plan for footpath and traffic management, including measures to ensure smooth movement of BEST buses and other vehicles.
The BMC plans to provide alternative spaces to 94 shopkeepers in the station area. The move is expected to free up footpath space and provide commuters with unobstructed access to the railway station.
24 shops to be removed near Kanjurmarg station
On the western side of Kanjurmarg Railway Station, 24 shops will be removed to make the surrounding area accessible to pedestrians.
Bhide directed officials to provide alternative spaces to the affected shopkeepers and rehabilitate them while clearing the footpaths.
The BMC will also remove 26 shops at Bhattipada Junction on Lal Bahadur Shastri Road and 27 shops at Peppermint Chawl in the second phase.
Under S Ward, approximately 20.50 km of footpaths across 14 roads are planned to be made available for pedestrian use.
Ghatkopar to get 3 km of encroachment-free footpaths
In N Ward, Bhide inspected footpaths around Shivaji Technical School in Pantnagar, Ghatkopar.
The civic body has planned an encroachment removal drive across five roads in the area. Footpaths along Shraddhanand Road, Jhunjhunwala Road, Ankush Gawde Road, and Harishchandra Desai Road, among others, will be cleared.
The exercise is expected to make around 3 km of footpaths available to pedestrians.
Bhide instructed officials to immediately clear unauthorised hawkers, encroachments, and other obstructions from footpaths. She also called for measures to improve, beautify, and enhance pedestrian safety.
BMC steps up action against garbage vulnerable points
The commissioner also reviewed the civic body's efforts to eliminate garbage vulnerable points in the eastern suburbs.
Bhide directed officials to ensure regular cleaning at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Road in Mulund West and the Badwaik Hospital area in Bhandup.
Waste collection agencies have been instructed to conduct regular door-to-door collection, while residents have been urged to dispose of waste only at designated locations.
The BMC will also impose fines on those dumping waste on roads and use CCTV cameras to monitor vulnerable spots. Waste collection vehicles will be deployed regularly to prevent fresh dumping.
Bhandup garbage hotspot becomes model for GVP elimination
The Badwaik Hospital area had emerged as a persistent garbage dumping spot, with commercial establishments and residents disposing of various types of waste on the road.
The waste included aluminium, furniture, mattresses, sanitary products, dry fruits, and hospital waste.
As part of the intervention, waste collection vehicles were deployed according to the type of waste generated by commercial establishments.
Collection teams also began visiting commercial premises, while garbage bins were placed at designated locations.
Bin attendants were deployed in three shifts to guide residents and commercial establishments on waste disposal and collection.
The civic body first conducted a 15-day awareness and counselling drive, followed by another 15 days of regular and systematic waste collection.
The initiative subsequently helped eliminate the garbage-vulnerable point and provided relief to residents and commuters using the nearby bus stop.
Bhide praised the S Ward Solid Waste Management team for the initiative and directed officials to present the Bhandup model to other civic wards for possible replication.
Senior civic officials, including Deputy Municipal Commissioners Prashant Gaikwad, Kiran Dighavkar and Santoshkumar Dhonde, and Assistant Commissioners Yogita Kolhe, Samreen Syed, and Jaideep More, were present during the inspection.
* This article was originally published here
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