The pavement between Acropolis Mall and the Ruby crossing is cluttered with debris and bricks, forcing pedestrians to walk on the busy road.
The debris that was generated while digging the road along the footpath for laying underground water pipelines nearly a month ago still blocked many stretches.
Crushed bricks that are used as a layer in repairing the broken road stretches have been dumped on the pavement, too.
Every day, hundreds of schoolchildren pass through this stretch. It is also one of the most important roads taken by hundreds of vehicles from south Calcutta headed to the IT hubs in Sector V and New Town.
“We have requested the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) multiple times to clear the stretch and the pavement. So many children assemble on this stretch every day when the schools start and give over,” said an officer of Kolkata Police’s traffic department.
A Kasba resident said that with the pavement blocked and a 3ft width of the road next to the pavement still without a top bituminous layer, pedestrians are forced to walk on the road, dangerously close to moving vehicles.
Debris and construction material strewn on the pavement next to GST Bhavan and (right) on another portion of the footpath till the Ruby crossing
The KMC dug open the stretch to lay new water pipelines. KMC officials said the water pipelines will bring potable water from the Dhapa water treatment plant to the newly built booster pumping stations.
Many pockets of Kasba and Jadavpur suffer from water scarcity. The booster pumping stations will provide more thrust to the water so that it reaches remote corners of a locality.
The capacity of the Dhapa water treatment plant, too, is being expanded to provide water to the booster pumping stations. A KMC official said the road restoration work has started.
“The pavement should not be blocked with debris or crushed bricks. If it is so, we will ensure that they are removed and the pavement is cleared for pedestrians,” said the official.
An elderly Calcuttan said it is becoming more difficult to walk on the pavements of the city. “There is very little space allotted for pedestrians, and most pavements are encroached,” he said.
“Where it is not encroached, debris or construction material makes it impossible to walk.” A walk through the stretch on Friday afternoon revealed the dangers of walking on the stretch.
The bus stop right outside Acropolis Mall has been blocked by crushed bricks. A resident said every morning, the bus stop is full of commuters waiting for public transport.
On weekends, it has people going back home after shopping or dining in the neighbourhood.
Walking east, towards the Ruby crossing, showed a similar picture. The pavement outside the GST Bhavan, too, is filled with crushed bricks.
A narrow passage on the edge still could have been used. But the covers of the drain are missing in many places.
A heap of sand and discarded gully pit covers occupy the pavement right outside the gate of the GST Bhavan