Obstructions Block Lajpat Nagar and Zamrudpur Footpaths After Supreme Court Ruling
A ground check has revealed that footpaths in Lajpat Nagar Market and Zamrudpur are heavily obstructed by commercial activities, parked vehicles, and dangling wires, leaving them virtually unusable for pedestrians. This finding comes just days after the Supreme Court of India ruled that walking safely on demarcated footpaths is a fundamental right.
Reporters Devanshi Mehta and Khushi Bhuta, along with photographer Tarun Rawat, conducted a physical assessment of high-footfall stretches in South Delhi to see if the judicial declaration translated to safer streets. Their investigation showed that pedestrian infrastructure in these key areas remains heavily compromised.
In the central market of Lajpat Nagar, the designated footpaths have effectively been converted into extensions of commercial showrooms. Shopkeepers have placed mannequins directly on the pavement where pedestrians are supposed to walk. In addition to mannequins, the walking strips are crowded with extended merchandise displays, coolers, waste bins, and footwear.
Furthermore, overhead wires hang low over the Lajpat Nagar Market pavements, forcing pedestrians to duck, dodge, or abandon the footpath entirely. Two-wheelers parked along the edge of the road block potential escape routes, leaving shoppers with no choice but to walk on the active roadway alongside moving traffic.
A similar situation was observed in Zamrudpur, which sits between a prominent South Delhi school on one side and Lady Shri Ram College on the other. While the footpath in this area starts clearly, it quickly becomes impassable.
A few steps onto the Zamrudpur footpath, pedestrians encounter parked cars blocking the path. Further along the route, the pavement is interrupted by autos, cabs, barricades, dug-up stretches, and street vendors. These physical barriers force students and local residents to constantly step on and off the busy road to navigate the area.
The ground check highlights a stark gap between the Supreme Court's legal declaration of pedestrian rights and the reality on the streets of South Delhi, where walking safely remains a daily challenge.
