NGO calls for volunteers to improve walkability

Mumbai's Walking Project NGO seeks volunteers to improve walkability, forming ward committees to identify issues and propose solutions for safer pedestrian routes.

Mumbai: Walking Project, a non governmental organisation (NGO) working to improve walkability in the city, has put out a call for volunteers to be a part of their project. The NGO plans to form 15-membered committees in each ward, tasked with identifying problematic locations, coming up with solutions, and pitching them to the authorities in order to implement them. On Monday, the NGO announced their first convener, P Sriganesh, of the K East ward, and held a meeting with the local MLA Murji Patel to discuss the project.

NGO calls for volunteers to improve walkability

Walkability is the extent to which the roads and infrastructure are pedestrian-friendly and safe.

Each ward team would be headed by a convener and a co-convener, who would be the foot soldiers of pedestrian struggles in the ward. Most active persons from each ward will become the conveners. It will be their responsibility to build teams, conduct community walks, gather volunteers, and carry out ground work.

“We have identified certain patches and junctions in Andheri East where there is heavy footfall and poor walking infrastructure, like the area under Andheri East station, under the WEH metro station,” said Sriganesh. “The other two junctions identified are near the Holy Family church and a little ahead on MIDC Road.”

Sriganesh has his plan sketched out for K east ward. “Our next step is to identify people from corporate houses, as Andheri East has a lot of offices. Many of them travel the last mile by walking, which is not pleasant in this area. At the WEH crossing, people run for their lives.”

Vedant Mhatre, a member of Walking Project’s central team, came up with a list of the issues at the WEH junction. “There are no lane markings, zebra crossing, no way to tell where the next vehicle is coming from. There is a massive scope of improvement at this junction. The constituted committee will sketch out the problems contributing to this mess, and come up with workable solutions.”

Mhatre added that the NGO plans to connect with urban planners to strategise, sketch out solutions which are achievable and subsequently, implement them.