Thane’s pedestrian infrastructure is facing renewed scrutiny as broken footpaths, missing drain covers, construction material, garbage and hawker encroachments obstruct walking routes across parts of the city, according to a report by Loksatta – Thane published on October 1, 2026.
The reported problems have been observed in areas including Gokhale Road and Tekdi Bungalow in Naupada, the Kopri flyover, Harinivas Chowk, Thane railway station, the central market area and Ga देवी locality. In several of these locations, pedestrians are being forced to use busy roads because the designated footpaths are either damaged, blocked or too narrow for safe movement.
On Gokhale Road in Naupada, sections of the footpath are reportedly broken. Tree roots have pushed up parts of the pavement, while other sections have sunk. Accumulated waste and the resulting smell have added to the difficulty for people using the route. The uneven surface also reduces the usable width of the footpath and makes it harder for pedestrians to move around one another.
The report also identified a damaged section of the retaining wall alongside a drain in the Tekdi Bungalow area. Debris from the collapsed portion has collected near the pedestrian route, further narrowing the passage. Near the Kopri bridge, part of the protective mesh on a bridge used by people travelling to and from the railway station was reported to be damaged.
In Thane’s market and Ga देवी areas, hawker activity is reported to be occupying sections of the footpath and restricting pedestrian movement. At Thane railway station, people seeking alms were reported to be sitting on the footpath, while waste accumulation has contributed to an unhygienic environment around the route. The combined effect is to push pedestrians into traffic-heavy road space, particularly in areas that already experience substantial daily movement.
The problems point to several separate maintenance and enforcement responsibilities operating on the same public corridor. Pavement repairs, drain-cover replacement, removal of construction debris, solid-waste clearance, management of hawker activity and action against unauthorised signs require sustained coordination rather than a one-time clearance drive. The report, however, does not identify a fresh municipal repair schedule or specify which agency has been assigned to address each location.
Thane Municipal Corporation had previously conducted a campaign called ‘My Footpath, My Responsibility’. The campaign sought action against illegal construction and unauthorised hawkers and called for safer, usable footpaths for residents. The Loksatta report states that footpath conditions in some parts of the city remain poor despite the campaign.
The reported locations include routes connected to a major railway station, a bridge and busy commercial areas. That makes footpath continuity a daily mobility concern rather than a limited streetscape issue. Until damaged surfaces, obstructions, waste and unsafe edges are addressed, pedestrians will continue to face a basic choice between negotiating an unusable footpath and walking alongside moving traffic.
