Overview
- The Supreme Court held on June 19 that the freedom to walk on a demarcated, well‑maintained footpath is a fundamental right and that public authorities have a duty to provide and maintain such footpaths.
- Pune Municipal Corporation has launched a special footpath survey squad, earmarked Rs 100 crore for construction and repairs, and reports 683 km of footpaths built or restored on wider roads while many narrow streets still lack pavements.
- An audit by Pune NGO Parisar found major gaps in complaint handling: of 302 grievances reviewed only 114 were resolved and just 23 met the state’s 15‑day target, and the city recorded 120 pedestrian deaths in the past year.
- Courts are pressing local authorities to act: the Punjab & Haryana High Court ordered Ludhiana’s civic body to examine encroachment claims in light of the Supreme Court ruling, signalling wider judicial oversight of municipal delivery.
- Implementation faces two linked challenges—technical damage from utility works and narrow roads that limit footpath construction, plus conflicts with long‑standing street vendors that require legal due process and planned alternative vending zones.