Pune: A citizens’ group has raised objections to ongoing footpath repairs being carried out by PMC and claimed that unnecessary works are carried out as part of the drive. “The civic administration has laid tiles and paver blocks for no good reason at many spots. They have also damaged good-quality footpaths to repair them again. It is simply a waste of public funds,” said Vivek Velankar of the Sajag Nagrik Manch. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has refuted these claims, saying that due process has been followed for the drive. “Our officials had gone to check the situation on ground. The repairs were initiated only after inspections,” said a senior official of PMC’s road department.The Manch has issued a statement, saying that though the campaign is welcome in theory, its implementation is faulty. The group has also shared photos on social media and with PMC officials of problematic footpath repair works in Model Colony to support their claims. “It is evident from the photos that the tiles on these footpaths were replaced just last year and are still in good condition today. However, wasting taxpayers’ money, these tiles are being unnecessarily replaced. PMC’s so-called ‘Footpath Repair Campaign’ is expected to make footpaths encroachment-free and install barriers to prevent vehicles from entering. But instead of doing so, if already good tiles are just being replaced for no reason, it needs to stop,” added Velankar.The Manch members further asserted that good-quality and wide footpaths are essential for pedestrians to have a safe and well-maintained space to walk on and prevent accidents. PMC launched the footpath repair drive in Jan after a survey found at least 42km of pavements in poor condition across the city. Citizens and activists, however, pointed out that many such initiatives have come and gone, and they notably lack consistency, instead being reduced to photo-ops ahead of major events.On the flipside, as per civic officials, extensive excavation has been carried out on roads and footpaths across the city, especially in the central Peth areas. Some of this includes work for CCTV installation for public security. The objective of the new campaign, they said, is to provide safe, clean, and obstacle-free pedestrian routes by repairing broken, damaged, and encroached footpaths on major roads.When contacted by TOI, PMC additional commissioner Omprakash Diwate said, “Our teams will visit any problem spots highlighted to check the issues raised. A number of footpath repairs, including those funded by CSR, are being carried out at the moment. We will assess if the complaints raised by this group correspond to the works being carried out under the ‘Footpath Repair Campaign’, or are under any other drive.”
