BMC to Clear Footpaths and Relocate Stalls in Mulund, Bhandup and Ghatkopar
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has intensified its 'Pedestrian First' campaign across Mumbai's eastern suburbs, focusing on clearing footpaths and improving access around railway stations in Mulund, Bhandup, Kanjurmarg, and Ghatkopar.
During a three-hour ground inspection across civic T, S, and N wards on Thursday, Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide instructed officials to formulate comprehensive plans to upgrade pedestrian pathways and streamline vehicular traffic around railway stations, especially during peak travel hours.
In T Ward, 13 roads in Mulund have been selected for footpath clearance and encroachment removal to establish uninterrupted pedestrian corridors.
In S Ward, the civic body aims to make 20.50 km of footpaths across 14 roads pedestrian-friendly. At Bhandup railway station (West), 94 hawking stalls will be relocated to alternative spaces under a plan designed to streamline road traffic and BEST bus operations while freeing up walking areas for commuters.
At Kanjurmarg railway station (West), 24 stalls will be removed in the initial phase to improve pedestrian movement. A second phase will see the removal and relocation of 26 stalls at Bhattipada Junction on Lal Bahadur Shastri Road and 27 stalls at Peppermint Chawl, bringing the total relocated stalls in the Kanjurmarg area to 77.
In N Ward, Bhide reviewed pedestrian infrastructure around Shivaji Technical School in Pantnagar, Ghatkopar. Encroachment removal has been scheduled along five roads in the area, including Shraddhanand Marg, Jhunjhunwala Marg, Ankush Gawde Marg, and Harishchandra Desai Marg, which will make approximately 3 km of footpaths accessible. Officials have been directed to clear unauthorised stalls and obstructions immediately.
Alongside clearance drives, the BMC is implementing measures to curb roadside garbage dumping through CCTV monitoring, penalties, and dedicated collection vehicles. The civic body highlighted the area around Badwaik Hospital in Bhandup as a successful model, where a persistent garbage-vulnerable point was resolved through targeted collection teams, three-shift bin attendants, and awareness drives among local commercial establishments and residents.
