Encroachments on footpaths, perennial problem in pilgrim city

Tirupati: Tirupati is one of the 100 smart cities selected for overall development by the Central government. It is also a renowned pilgrim centre with a large number of pilgrims visiting the city every day from across the country. Apart from pilgrims, people from neighbouring towns and villages also come to Tirupati every day for various reasons including studies, attending jobs, working in hospitals and for business purposes etc,.

While efforts are on to improve basic facilities like roads, cleanliness and other infrastructural facilities in the city, pedestrians mostly women, children and the aged continue to face inconvenience with the footpaths occupied by hawkers. There is no exaggeration when one says that there is no street without hawkers in the city. As their number is constantly increasing, naturally the encroachments are going up on footpaths and road margins and they have been occupying every space available despite installation of CCTV cameras in the city.

The apathy on part of civic officials and police in preventing the encroachments on footpaths has turned into a curse for the common people in the city.

Unfortunately, the civic authorities also failed to issue licenses to hawkers and provide them identified places to enable them to carry out their business. In addition several establishments like jewellery shops, banks, offices, showrooms etc do not have their own parking lots and they are parking their vehicles on the roads leading to blocking the way for pedestrians. At some places, those running puncture and mechanic shops use footpaths to carry out their work. All these encroachments have turned spacious roads into narrow strips causing untold hardships to pedestrians.

Ramachandra Reddy, a retired headmaster, said he met with an accident a few months back as he had to walk on the main road as there was no space on the footpath which was occupied by small traders/hawkers. Siva Kumar, Chittoor district secretary of AP Street Vendors and Hawkers Association, lamented that the hawkers are yet to be provided identified places to carry out their business though they met the Municipal Commissioner several times. He said they also sought implementation of the Street Vendors Act-2014 which says that 2.5% of city population should be hawkers and they should be provided with minimum facilities like drinking water, toilets etc., near their business place.

As per the Act, 6,000 hawkers can do their business at notified places in the city but the civic authorities ignored the welfare of hawkers and street vendors, he lamented.