Walking on the city’s footpaths with ease and in comfort has become quite unimaginable these days because of their poor maintenance, with slabs often missing or broken and pavements under the grip of hawkers, illegally-parked vehicles and kiosks, garbage and construction materials.
“I’m an avid walker and I love walking in the evenings, but now I’m giving it a second thought because of various problems. We have to get down to main roads since the footpaths are filled with garbage. And where apartment buildings are being constructed, the footpaths are buried under construction materials,” Mujibul Haq, an engineer in his mid-60s, said.
“Just take a tour around Dhaka – everywhere you look, you’ll find hawkers squatting on the pavements. I don’t know what will become of these footpaths in future.”
During a visit to the city’s Motijheel, Paltan, Rampura, Badda, Malibagh, Farmgate, Dhanmondi, Mirpur, Mohammadpur and Gulshan areas, this correspondent found the front-sides of many roadside buildings constructed occupying notable portions of pavements.
In other cases, beggars, floaters and goods of grocery shops occupy the pavements, to the obvious displeasure of pedestrians. Illegal parking and operation of bicycles and motorbikes are also causing a nuisance.
Saima Begum, a schoolteacher of Malibagh area, said walking on the footpaths had become “hazardous” with vendors occupying significant parts of the footpaths. “Every day I have to use footpaths and there is always something or other to disturb your mind.”
Shahidul Islam, a banker of Rampura area, likened the footpaths to “a racecourse beyond the control of its managers” and held the city authorities responsible for their pathetic condition. “Often children and elderly people have to suffer because of the pavement-using bikers.”
“About 80% of the city’s buildings have been constructed disregarding their approved plans,” said Abdul Mannan, a member of the planning board of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha. “We will take steps against these structures in phases. As for pavement encroachments, it is not the responsibility of Rajuk but the city corporation to take action against those responsible.”
He further said mobile courts were active “round-the-clock” to halt illegal construction initiatives.
In this regard, Nazmul Islam, administrator of Dhaka South City Corporation, said a team of the corporation led by two magistrates was conducting drives to free footpaths from illegal occupation and demolish unlawfully-built structures.
Akhter Hossain Bhuiyan, administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation, said a cautionary notice would be published in the newspapers soon warning the owners of makeshift shops and buildings on footpaths to clear the pavements within seven days of its publication.
“Currently, we are conducting an eviction drive in the city’s Farmgate area, and it will be strengthened further in future.”
Urban planner Prof Nazrul Islam, however, alleged that the authorities of both sides of the city corporation were not taking necessary steps to free the footpaths. “They need to really strengthen their efforts in this regard, or there might come a day when the city’s roads and pavements would be even narrower.”