‘Lack of walkability, footpaths not just an infrastructure problem but a public health issue'

Indian Express

25-05-2025

In a recent global study, Mumbai was declared one of the least walkable cities in the world besides grappling with other civic issues. Rishi Aggarwal, civic expert, environmentalist and founder of Mumbai Sustainability Centre, speaks to Omkar Gokhale on walkability, road concretisation, disaster preparedness and issues related to dumping sites and solid waste management in Mumbai.
Why according to you Mumbai ranks among the least walkable cities in the world as per a recent survey?
A walking friendly city is the most low-cost way in which we can greatly enhance quality of life for the largest number of people. It is shameful and saddening to see Mumbai in those rankings but not surprising. Since the turn of the century when cities in Europe and America besides China and Gulf increasingly moved towards an enhanced respect for pedestrians and cyclists and went out of the way to make their cities walking and cycling friendly, those in charge of governing Mumbai have gone in the other direction and chosen to make Mumbai car centric and in the past few years it has been devastating. Look at the way those black FRP grills have been installed on footpaths across the suburbs.
What should be done about it?
Footpaths and walkability should be viewed in a different light, as public health issue, not just infrastructure or mobility concerns. Well-designed footpaths can be a powerful tool to improve health, even though a garden or park may not be in the vicinity, by encouraging daily walking, which benefits blood pressure, joint health, cardiovascular fitness, mood, and reduces stress and anxiety. Many arterial roads, including SV Road which we sought to be given priority, lack proper footpaths, with some stretches having less than one metre. At 'Walking Project', we have been highlighting sorry state of affairs and demanding a minimum 3-4 metre wide footpath on such roads, adhering to quality standards, to promote daily walking and enhance public well-being. This often-overlooked aspect is crucial for healthier, more active citizens.
What about hawking policy, shrinking public spaces and shortcomings in public transport?
The deteriorating state of BEST buses, hawker issues, open spaces, air quality, state of rivers and other ecosystems, all stem from the same underlying problem and malaise. The situation has become complicated, partly due to the city's politics. A major issue is the lack of accountability and transparency regarding public spending over the past three years since administrator rule. For decades, the middle and affluent classes have shown little support for civil society groups addressing these issues daily. This indifference contributes significantly to Mumbai's decline. A sense of ownership and stewardship is crucial for any habitat to thrive.
What about disaster preparedness in the wake of monsoon season and road concretisation?
While some aspects of Mumbai's disaster response are improving, there's a lack of sophistication and genuine concern for a metropolis of its size. For instance, debris removed from stormwater drains will remain unattended, often flowing back after the first rains, which shows administrative apathy.
Additionally, the BMC has wrongly concretised road shoulders, ignoring a 2005 decision to keep them in paver blocks or asphalt. These side portions, meant to remain permeable and less rigid are crucial for sustainable urban planning, are misused for parking instead of enhancing footpaths, worsening climate resilience, despite repeated feedback to improve the situation. The effect on roadside trees has been highly detrimental. Concepts such as blue-green infrastructure, sponge city can be adopted. Half of the shoulder portion should be given to enhance poor footpath widths.
Recently Bombay High Court restored 'protected forest' status of Kanjurmarg dumping site and BMC floated a tender to clean waste piles at Deonar landfill for rehabilitation under Dharavi redevelopment project. How does it impact waste management?
In 2006, I was part of the citizen group that gave inputs to the High Court on the Kanjur site, which then had no mangroves, only salt pans with healthy tidal influence and fishing activities. The recent HC order dismays me; the site is ecologically devastated and cannot be called a mangrove forest overnight. Closing it will only lead to finding another dumping site. Maybe that is the plan. In 2014, we proposed decentralised waste processing within 24 wards and using food waste to fuel bio-CNG for BEST buses, starting with Gorai depot. We need to do all this before closing the Kanjur site. Waste management has been plagued by corruption and malpractices. Regarding Deonar, using hazardous sites for human activity violates regulations and risks public health. Reclaimed areas must undergo remedial measures to recover from toxic effects before being used for any habitation.