To and from work
and school, in the vegetable market, in one's neighborhood: Walking is an
integral part of most citizens' lives in Udaipur. Indeed, Udaipur's greenery, the small lanes in the old city, and
the close proximity of points of interest, make walking an ideal mode of
transportation.
Yet, it has
become increasingly difficult to walk in Udaipur. For one, there is no place to walk. Few roads have footpaths, and increasing vehicular traffic makes
it difficult to feel safe or comfortable while walking on the roadside. Second, even for those who do take the risk,
the experience of walking has become less than pleasant. The amount of pollution and dust, coupled
with the fear of being hit by a vehicle, keeps one from enjoying an activity
which normally guarantees good health.
Thirdly, there is increasing social pressure -- especially among youth
-- to use a vehicle (scooter, motorcycle or car) for even the smallest of
tasks. Walking has developed a social stigma these days, as the media reminds
us that a key status symbol is the vehicle one drives.
Background
A small group
formed to take on the issue of footpaths in Udaipur. After some initial discussions, the group saw a few possible
entry points: interacting with city officials (like the Collector), attaching
on to existing infrastructure development projects (like the Asian Development
Bank’s Heritage City Project), and increasing public dialogue around footpaths. It was in the latter that the most energy
was felt.
Walkathon
The group, now
dubbed "Miliye, Juliye, Chaliye" (Meet, Join, Walk), decided that one
of its goals was to raise public interest around making footpaths in the
city. Organizing a walkathon -- a pad yatra with a social purpose, one
might say -- appeared to be a good strategy for accomplishing this goal. Several individuals from different
organizations, such as Seva Mandir, Vidya Bhawan School, SPARC, the Study
School, West Zone Cultural Center, and Shikshantar, co-organized the effort.
The date was set
for July 19, 2003, and the venue chosen was a round of Fateh Sagar lake, a
challenge in its 10 km course, even for those Udaipur citizens who regularly
come to walk on the lake's pal
(boardwalk). Nearby schools, such as St. Mary's, St. Paul's, Vidya Bhawan,
Alok, the Study, Railway Training, Saifee Secondary School, and Dewali, were
contacted, and invitations were also extended within different neighborhoods of
Udaipur. Contributions were solicited
from partner-organizations, as well as from small local businesses. The title
of the event was our namesake: "Miliye, Juliye, Chaliye".
We anticipated it
would take people approximately two hours to complete the round (from 4:00 pm
to 6:00 pm). Therefore, in the
remaining daylight hours (from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm), we thought it would be a
good idea to create multiple spaces/ opportunities for dialogue around walking
and other issues related to organic living.
For this purpose:
¨
Shikshantar
prepared a 15 poster exhibition to stimulate conversations around the value of
walking and the absence of footpaths in Udaipur.
¨
Rotary Club
of Udaipur decided to give away saplings, as the rainy season is an excellent
time for planting and gardening in Udaipur.
Shikshantar supported this activity by sharing an invitation for family
organic gardening on rooftops, terraces and lawns.
¨
A group of
youth prepared and performed a street play.
It highlighted the difficulties in walking without footpaths (pollution,
health problems, accidents), the challenges of the urban mindset (believing
vehicles are superior to walking, wasting/consuming nature), and the potential
of citizens' initiatives (starting in one's own neighborhood, meeting with
government officials, walking more, etc.).
¨
A group of
deaf students from XXX School
prepared and performed a mime around rainwater harvesting, traffic safety, and
conservation.
¨
Shikshantar
organized a canvas, open posters and blank sheets of paper, on which people
could draw/write their feelings and reflections about the day's events, walking
and other pertinent issues in Udaipur.
The small paintings made by children and adults, using natural colors,
were then pinned up on a sheet for a self-generating art exhibition.
The response to
the "Miliye, Juliye, Chaliye" was quite positive overall;
approximately 600 children, youth and adults attended over the course of the 4
hour program. Press coverage in local
papers was also prominent; however, the larger action of building footpaths and
making more space for walking in Udaipur remained. Bolstered by the success of the walkathon, many members of the
"Miliye, Juliye, Chaliye" group thought it important to build upon
the energy and continue the effort.
Follow-up to Walkathon
Signature Campaign and Public Interest
Litigation
Began briefly at
the walkathon, a process of gathering signatures and personal quotes from local
citizens will soon be underway. These
signatures/quotes will signal the commitments of citizens for building footpaths
in Udaipur. They will be used both for
filing a public interest litigation in the court, as well as for pressuring
city municipal government to uphold planning commitments. The goal of the campaign is to collect 5000
signatures in the next month.
Pilot Project between Vidya Bhawan School
and Asian Development Bank
Vidya Bhawan is
petitioning the Asian Development Bank to build a footpath from the school to
Fateh Sagar. Vidya Bhawan students will
watch over the footpath, cleaning it and caring for the trees planted on it,
under the auspices of their Traffic Safety Program. Asian Development Bank is sponsoring city improvement projects
because Udaipur has recently been declared a Heritage City, so it is likely
they will approve this plan.
Strategic Mini-Walkathons
The group has decided
once-a-month to conduct a direct action in the most traversed pathways of
Udaipur, where the need and urgency for footpaths is the greatest. The issue thus becomes more public, and such
obvious interventions build more interest from outsiders. The first point of 'attack' will be the path
between Sukhadia Circle and Chetak Circle, where traffic is heavy and space to
walk is minimal. Here, those visiting
the city General Hospital face the most difficulty. Sunday, August 3, 2003, is the scheduled time of the walk. A poster exhibition and street play will
follow in Sukhadia Circle, as well as the launching of the signature campaign,
to further enhance the dialogue.
A second walk is
suggested for Chitrakoot Nagar, where trash and marble slurry dumping on the
sides of the road have further exacerbated the danger for walkers.
Learning Journeys
To appreciate the
learning inherent to walking, Shikshantar is interested in co-creating small
walks in the city around various themes, such as "old city architecture",
"birdwatching", "local artists",
"sketch-and-walk", "treasure hunt", etc. We hope this will generate more joy in
walking, as well as appreciating the vast resources of our city. Research for several of the walks is
underway.