KARACHI, July 24: The Malir Town administration under a secret deal with shopkeepers along a busy road has allegedly surrendered a six-foot-wide footpath.

One track of this 36ft-wide road, from Kala Board to Saudabad, would be without a footpath as the town administration is ignoring encroachments on the footpath, area people told Dawn.

While this track was being built for a long time, the plan for construction of the footpath had been dropped, they said.

Inquiries revealed that although Begum Khursheed Road earlier had footpaths on both sides, shopkeepers occupied this, and extended their shops in a manner that they usurped a portion of the footpath, rendering it inaccessible to pedestrians.

The town officials while initiating work on the road surrendered the six-foot-wide patch and allowed traders to occupy the footpath. The traders are carrying out their businesses by placing shop accessories on the road. At some places, even chairs and tables can be seen where various food items are served.

Pickups, cars and trucks also remain parked and the rest of the space is being utilized by pushcarts, thus, causing inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians. Often traffic jams take place owing to placement of accessories, refrigerators, washing machines and plastic water-tanks by hardware shops.

Although the surveyors had placed red marks on the portions to be demolished, the entire marked portion was not demolished and the shopkeepers have resumed this portion of the road meant for a footpath by extending shops in a manner that the shutters open right on the road at Malir Tanki and parts of Saudabad.

Similarly, some house-owners have opted to open their main gates right on the road encroaching upon the government land.

“They even have ignored that their children coming out from houses might fall victim to accidents,” said a social worker.

The administration of a mosque has also encroached upon the footpath, hampering installation of a drainage line.

At some places, the town officials have reduced the original width of the road from 36 feet to 28 feet causing a major lacuna in future planning of the road.

Moreover, area people expressed concern over construction of shops in bus stops along the road. At least six bus stops have been encroached upon and work is continuing on the shops while no action is being taken against the contractors.