By Dr. K. Javeed Nayeem, MD

Since the past few days, the civic authorities in our city seem to have started a very energetic drive to clear our footpaths from the various kinds of encroachments that we have been seeing across the length and breadth of the city, over many years now. This problem of encroached footpaths, that has been depriving citizens of their walking space, which should rightfully serve only this purpose, has become so widespread that tax-payers have begun to feel that it is a sin to pay taxes, only to live in misery, lifelong.

Now, we can find every kind of business thriving unchecked on the roadside. You can buy a cover for your mobile phone, get the battery of your watch changed, get your shoes polished, get your ears cleaned and your palm read and your future predicted, buy a cone of ice cream, get roasted or steamed corn on the cob or in a cup, wash it down with a hot cup of coffee or tea and buy a pair of slippers, a bath towel and if you are not very shy, even your underwear, right on the pavement!

Jostling customers, haphazard parking

Roadside eateries catering to different tastes and preferences, stand cheek by jowl, even along the lanes of residential areas, spewing acrid fumes and odours into homesteads that make life miserable for the helpless residents.

And, the crowds of their jostling customers, along with their haphazardly parked vehicles, simply render the roads completely unusable. It is not an easy job for you to get any driver who is enjoying a treat, to let go of the plate and move his or her vehicle, to make way for yours. Any displeasure or resentment expressed, results in much unpleasantness and very often, even in nasty confrontations.

With this being the situation, this present drive of clearing our footpaths was very necessary and here in Mysuru and it seems to be a spillover from what has been happening in Bengaluru, after Krishna Byre Gowda, the newly inducted Minister for Greater Bengaluru Development, took charge and declared that he would rid all the arterial roads of the city from all kinds of encroachments and impediments, that have been making life miserable there.

Combined with his late father’s long political background and his own experience and driven by his young blood and good education, the man seems to be heading in the right direction, to do justice to what is expected of him in his present portfolio.

Bearing the brunt of the problem

As people who have been helplessly bearing the brunt of the problem of not having any footpaths to walk on, let’s wish him luck and success, in our own interest and in the interest of our State too. Yes, our State too needs to retain its reputation of being a liveable place, where civic sense and orderliness remain intact.

As it usually happens in matters like these, we have seen that attempts to free our roads and footpaths from obstacles, themselves run into many obstacles. I say this because when someone sets out to do some good to the society by adopting some bold measures, he or she is invariably met by much opposition from the vested interests and is accused of inconsiderate high-handedness.

Many people even accuse the authorities of taking selective action in some areas while leaving others untouched and it is not easy to do this difficult job well and also be seen as having done it with fairness and impartiality.

So, when we consider the job that he has undertaken, we can all only agree that like Hercules, the Greek hero, this Minister is indeed cleaning the Augean Stables. Thankfully the Minister’s actions seem to be getting the appreciation of the citizens who stand to be benefited by them.

Short-lived results

But the very sad part is that history has been repeatedly showing us that this whole business of keeping our footpaths, sidewalks and roads free from obstacles and illegal encroachments, has very short-lived results. So short-lived, that even as we see a stretch of road cleared of them, we find the same stretch encroached upon, all over again, in just a few weeks. We have all seen this happening time and again and we are very likely to see it happening this time and even in the future too.

This malady is therefore very much like a kind of cancer that defies a permanent cure and keeps coming back, despite drastic surgery. There are many reasons for this but primarily it is because we do not have in place a system that maintains a constant watch on what is happening and levies stiff and deterrent penalties on repeat offenders. Unless this is done, the mere temporary displacement, is looked upon only as a minor discomfort and an acceptable part of any footpath encroacher’s life.

We must have an arrangement where any complaints regarding this or any other civic problem, can be filed through WhatsApp, with visual proof, upon which the authorities should act promptly, without revealing the identity of the complainants.

Right to a dignified livelihood for all

Having said this, we need to look at another very important aspect of the problem that has to be addressed simultaneously and very earnestly too. This is the question of the right to a dignified livelihood, for all those who ply their trades on the footpaths because they do not have the wherewithal to legally acquire a place to do business in our cities, where land is scarce and prohibitively expensive. This is indeed a very pertinent problem that needs to be addressed with some effort and due compassion on the part of the authorities but if there is a will, this can be done.

We need to earmark some open places in all our cities, as hawking or vending zones and allow all roadside businesses to be shifted and carried out there, with some very modest and easily affordable fees, payable to the civic authorities, as sanitary and maintenance charges.

This should not be a very difficult thing to do as most of our cities have many open places which can be utilised for this purpose and such spaces can also be planned and created, when we develop new extensions to our cities.

When a tiny city-State like Singapore, where every inch of space needs to be squeezed out of thin air, at exorbitant cost, has been able to create and maintain food plazas and hawking zones, in almost all areas, over all the years of its existence, I don’t see any reason why we can’t do it here in our own country. 

Since Mysuru is a relatively small city, ideally suited for any kind of a novel initiative, let us bring in this arrangement forthwith, even as this present clearance drive is going on, so that we do not deprive the displaced people of their livelihoods. 

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