Footpath For All, Except Walkers

Time of India

08-08-2025

Hyderabad: Taking a seamless half-kilometre walk in Hyderabad is becoming a near-impossible task, with encroachments choking footpaths across the city. On average, every kilometre of pavement sees at least seven obstructions, mostly by street vendors, shopkeepers, and illegal parking.
Under Operation ROPE (Removal of Obstructive Parking and Encroachments), the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has identified and cleared over 7,500 encroachments along its 1,039-km footpath network in the past year. But the gains are short-lived.
"Despite repeated removal drives, vendors and commercial establishments reoccupy the space within days," admitted a senior GHMC official. Weekly eviction drives are now being planned every Saturday in each circle in coordination with traffic police.
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However, the core challenge remains: balancing pedestrian rights with the livelihoods of street vendors. GHMC is working to demarcate vending zones using a red-orange-green system — green allows vending anytime, orange restricts it to specific hours, and red prohibits it entirely.
But progress is slow. "Identifying suitable land is a major hurdle. Even when space is allotted, vendors often don't shift, fearing reduced income," said an official from the urban community development wing.
Footpaths on stretches like Moosapet-Erragadda, Ameerpet-Punjagutta, Paradise-Secunderabad, RTC X Roads, and Tarnaka-Habsiguda remain perpetually blocked, making it difficult to walk even 100 metres without interruption.
This lack of walkable infrastructure is proving deadly. According to police data, Greater Hyderabad reported 1,032 pedestrian accidents last year, with 400 fatalities and over 775 injuries, translating to nearly 30 pedestrian-related mishaps every day.
Urban planners stress that sustained enforcement, smart vending solutions, and better pedestrian infrastructure, including zebra crossings and continuous pavements, are the only way forward to make Hyderabad walkable and safer.
What experts suggest
Footpaths around junctions should be fenced to prevent accidents
Footpaths at shopping centers and busy places have barriers to stop encroachments
Pedestrians should actively report encroachments to local authorities like GHMC and police
Officials should relocate vendors and designate dedicated spaces for vendors
GHMC should enforce stricter penalties for repeat violations on encroachments on footpaths
Police should track the activities on footpaths through CCTVs
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