Bhubaneswar, Jan. 7: Time to hop, skip and jump while walking on the footpath may shortly be over.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has finally started removing obstructions from footpaths along the busy Janpath to make the life of pedestrians easy. Similar drives will also be undertaken in other parts of the city.

Footpaths in most areas of the city have either been encroached upon or have been damaged. Many of them do not have drains along them.

'The civic authorities are doing a good job by removing the obstructions from footpaths. They are also repairing several stretches, including the Utkal University - Sishu Bhawan Square. There are stretches where building materials have been dumped. These should be removed without further delay,' said Manoj Kumar Ray, a resident of Kharavela Nagar.

Despite the administration making separate provision for on-street parking, some people are still keeping their vehicles on the footpath. The administration should ensure that the designated parking areas are free of encroachments so that people can use them, said Ray.

Municipal commissioner Krishan Kumar took a walk along the Utkal University and Sishu Bhawan stretch in the last week of December to find out problems plaguing pedestrians. He had also advised the officials to coordinate with the engineers of the public works department to sort out the issues.

Moreover, Kumar and police commissioner R.P. Sharma went to London in December to study on-street parking. Subsequently, the same system was implemented along the Janpath.

'We are going to streamline the continuity of the footpath and make them safer. Other roads will also be included in a phase-wise manner,' said Kumar.

Former councillor of Ashok Nagar area Gurucharan Sahoo said: 'Fixing the continuity of the footpath, removal of any kind of obstructions and preparing a cycle track along the road should be done in all major stretches in the city.'

Planning adviser to the Bhubaneswar Development Authority Prashant Patnaik told The Telegraph: 'As more high-rises are coming up along the Janpath, there is a need to make separate ways for pedestrians and cyclists. Organised parking is also necessary. These will be on BDA's priority list.'

It can be stated here that in December 2013, The Telegraph had carried out a sustained campaign on how to provide safe footpaths to the pedestrians and also published a report on missing slabs from various major locations along the Janpath between Utkal University and Sishu Bhawan Square.

Text by Bibhuti Barik