Mumbai: The BMC is facing delays in conducting an audit of footpaths across the city, as it struggles to find suitable NGOs willing to take on the task. Despite issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) in February 2024 to empanel NGOs for a three-year audit program, the civic body has failed to receive any response.
According to a civic official, the complexity of the audit process and lack of qualified and willing organisations has hampered progress. On Monday the civic body reissued the RFP in an attempt to attract competent NGOs.
Last year, the Bombay High Court directed the BMC to strictly adhere to the footpath policy and to outline the specific measures it would undertake to ensure universal access to footpaths for the differently-abled and the elderly.
Accordingly, the civic body issued a RFP to appoint an empanel of NGOs to conduct an audit of the city’s footpaths for a period of three years. Based on their findings, they will prepare detailed reports on the safety and accessibility of both existing and newly constructed footpaths, in accordance with the guidelines for persons with disabilities under the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan(SBA).
The empanelled NGOs are required to conduct a detailed safety audit of all footpaths across the city and provide recommendations to enhance the safety of footpath users wherever potential hazards are identified.
NGOs will identify footpath safety issues, propose solutions, ensure compliance with SBA guidelines, and conduct a survey on risks for persons with disabilities. The audit is to be conducted by qualified footpath safety experts and engineers.
The BMC will be spending Rs. 2 crores for the audit work. "Expertise has been hard to find due to the complex footpath audit process, which involves the city's vast network, encroachments, compliance with accessibility standards, data collection, and coordination across multiple departments," said civic sources.
