Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The 100 benches flanking the Pashan-Sus Road have transformed a once-unnoticeable stretch into a pedestrian paradise
Ashwin Shetty8217;s roadside tea stall has just had a change of fortune. And all because he shifted its position from under a tree to near one of the 100 odd benches that have popped up at the Pashan-Sus road thanks to the Commonwealth Youth Games. 8220;The only reason my tea did not sell the way it should have is because people did not get a place to sit and enjoy its taste. When these benches were put up I decided that I will shift my tapri near one so that my customers can be benefitted by its presence.8221;
Where the residents enjoy the benefits of the benches they also feel that initiatives like these motivate people to walk instead of using automobiles for covering even small distances. Ramesh Pathe, senior citizen and a resident says, 8221; For people of our age such benches are like crutches that help and support us. They also stimulate this healthy habit of walking in us. I now enjoy morning and evening walks because I can stop and take rest whenever I feel like. Earlier when the benches were not there, one could not get a proper place to sit for almost three to four kilometers.8221;
Proving to be happening hangout for the residents, the beautified Pashan-Sus road along with the benches has carved a niche in the locality by becoming an inextricable part of its surroundings. Here8217;s a hope of more roads donning a similar picturesque cum practical avtaar in other parts of the city, even if the CYG urgency and impetus is not there anymore.
