Mumbai: Andheri-Kurla road walk to be enjoyble soon.

A city environment group has taken up the pilot project of creating better walking conditions on the crucial Andheri-Kurla Road, which is currently a nightmare for pedestrians.

According to Rishi Aggarwal of the NGO called 'Walking Project’' this road is in very bad shape and there is hardly any space for people to walk on it. “Whether it is the traffic on the Andheri-Kurla Road, or even the hawkers and vendors that occupy space on the sidewalk, there is hardly any space left for people to walk without facing obstructions,” he pointed out.

Another thing that can be noted about this road is its complete lack of symmetry which makes it difficult to walk on it, Aggarwal said. “If you look at the roads in the town area like the DN Road and some other places, you can see a proper symmetry and this makes it a pleasure to walk on them,” he said. But this is not the case with the Andheri-Kurla Road and hence the planners have to take this factor into account,” he pointed out.

For a good walking experience, there has to be safety, joy and convenience for the pedestrians, the activist said. “This road is now going to be taken up for redevelopment and these factors must be taken into account when this is done,” he said. In fact, he is now planning to take this up with the municipal commissioner to ensure that the Andheri-Kurla Road is done in way that walking becomes a joyful experience for the people living and working in this area, he added.

It is also important to note that this road has some of the most important business and commercial establishments located on it, Aggarwal said. “Even the airport can be accessed from this road and yet the administration has not made any efforts to make it walkable,” he said.

Commenting on the state of the road, Dr Yogini Patel, a local resident agreed that walking has become a nightmare on this road and serious efforts need to be make to improve the situation. “It is very obvious that the entire distance of about three kilometres on which Andheri-Kurla Road is located is not very comfortable for pedestrians,” she said.

It is seen right outside Andheri station(East) that the footpaths are completely encroached by the shop owners in this area, she said. “They have put up sign boards and even their display items on the sidewalks and leave no space for people to walk on,” she pointed out. Hence, this makes it important for the administration and even NGO groups to take up this issue and improve walking conditions on it, she suggested.

Aggarwal said this is just the beginning and in the coming days, they plan to take up other important roads like the Sahar Road and the Mahakali Caves Road.

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