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The Delhi High Court has recently directed the Executive Engineer/ Assistant Engineer/ Junior Engineer to traverse the entire colony’s footpaths on a wheelchair without any aid or assistance from anyone to test the efficacy of South Delhi Municipal Corporation's efforts to make the streets and footpaths user-friendly.

A Single Judge bench of Justice Najmi Waziri said "While freedom of movement is a constitutional guarantee, it should not be hemmed-in by the lack of requisite civic amenities."

The direction has come in response to a contempt petition pointing out the concretization of the pavements leading to drying up of trees and plants in the vicinity in South Delhi's Vasant Vihar area.

The bench noted that "It is agreed by all parties that removal by the SDMC of encroachments including concrete ramps from the footpaths, will facilitate movement in the colony of the elderly, children and the wheel-chair bound. Let remedial measures be initiated in right earnest. All concretization beyond the road and the walking-paths aid by the MCD/ PWD, shall be removed from the earth, no matter how deep the concrete."

The bench further observed that in case the issue is not resolved it "would discourage walking to neighbourhood shopping centres,  to community-bonding cultural events and for leisure-time in colony parks. Instead, people would use motor-vehicles, adding to the city’s ever-burgeoning traffic congestion and unmitigated air pollution."

Justice Waziri has directed the authorities to submit photographs of each stretch so repaired, restored and made user-friendly showing the before and after scenario.

Towards the treatment of trees afflicted by disease, the SDM has assured the Court that all requisite equipment, tools, etc. will be acquired by its Horticulture Department.

Case Title: Bhavreen Kandhari Vs. Gyanesh Bharti & Ors.