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Walking on Shimla roads a daily struggle

There was a time when roads in Shimla city used to be pedestrian friendly.

Walking on Shimla roads a daily struggle

There is no pedestrian path on either side of the roads in Shimla for schoolchildren and office-goers. Photo Amit Kanwar.



Kuldeep Chauhan

There was a time when roads in Shimla city used to be pedestrian friendly. Now, with a surge in population and movement of traffic, roads, especially the Shimla bypass, Lakkar Bazaar-IGMC and those in Sanjauli have become hazardous for pedestrians.

Apart from daily commuters, patients travelling between Lakkar Bazaar and Indira Gandhi Medical College and between New Shimla and Vikas Nagar on the Shimla bypass highway are a harried lot, courtesy traffic hazards. 

For pedestrians, including schoolchildren and office-goers, walking on the Shimla Bypass road from New Shimla (BCS) to Vikasnagar and SDA administrative complex has become a daily struggle. There is no pedestrian path laid out on the side of the Shimla Bypass highway. “Traffic has become a big problem as you can’t walk on either side of the road while going to school,” a school student said.

“Vehicles are parked on both sides of the road, leaving little space for the pedestrians to walk. The unending stream of vehicles poses a constant risk while walking. Neither the National Highways Authority of India nor the Shimla Municipal Corporation have planned pedestrian paths for walkers,” said Naresh Chauhan, a resident of New Shimla.

Office-goers and schoolchildren can’t walk to and from Vikasnagar and have to either take the local bus or private cars to reach office or school, which in turn adds to the traffic congestion on the road, he said. 

“Walking on the road becomes a problem as speeding vehicles emit smoke and dust. Not only this, builders and hardware shop owners load or unload consignments and construction material on the roadside further adding to the menace. Piles of sand and other material dumped alongside the road, mainly near Brockhurst Nullah, further make things worse,” residents said.

Schoolchildren and teachers going to DAV or Government School, Rajhana, through the Kangnadhar Nullah have to cross through piles of garbage dumped daily at the nullah on the pedestrian path, which is yet to be laid properly. “We have brought this to the notice of the SMC, but there has been no relief from the stench emanating from the garbage,” said schoolteachers, children and pedestrians, who walk on this path daily.

“If pedestrian paths are constructed, it will cut down local traffic congestion and the pedestrians will be fable to walk safely,” said Himank Sud, a local resident. Pedestrians, including patients, schoolchildren and office-goers, students and doctors taking the Lakkar Bazaar-IGMC Road are also a harried lot, as a part of the road near Lakkar Bazar gave way after digging work was carried out by a private hotelier.

Though the road has been restored and repaired, the hotelier blamed the SMC for cracks that appeared on it due to leakage from the underground water pipeline.

The SMC slapped a notice on the builder for damaging the road. The case is still pending in the court of Commissioner.

Besides, pedestrians face constant nuisance while visiting patients at the IGMC. The road between Lakkar Bazaar and the  IGMC is full of filth and leakage from sewerage and garbage dumped in Snowdown Nullah by the SMC, the IGMC sweepers and squatters, who have invaded the entire stretch between Lakkar Bazaar and the IGMC, selling fruits, junk food and other material.

Even tourists who go for a stroll to Lakkar Bazaar and to Sanjauli have the same indignation. “Walking has become hazardous due to traffic while it is repulsing to see garbage dumped in the nullah,” a tourist said. 

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