By Swapnil Tembe
Two and half years ago, when I came to Shillong, I was excited to be a part of the Education department. I was thrilled to join as the Director, School Education & Literacy which I felt offered this wonderful opportunity to bring change in the complex domain of school education. The office of DSEL is in Laitumukrah which is about 3.5 kms from my residence. And I thought that it would be just a 10-15 minutes’ drive. Little did I know about the complexities of traffic in Shillong. On the first day it took me nearly 40 mins. The way to DSEL office passes through the Don Bosco Square which is like the convergence point for several big schools of Shillong. And if you go there during the starting and closing time of schools, you would probably witness the peak of population density of the State for sure.
I consoled myself that perhaps it was just a one-off thing, and it would not take that much time every day. That was just wishful thinking and I was instantly proved wrong. In fact, sometimes it took even longer than that. After a couple of months, I realized that this is a common occurrence on many stretches of the city as the roads are quite narrow and the number of vehicles are significantly higher than the carrying capacity. Then the other major factor is that there are literally no designated parking places. Ergo, half of the road spaces are utilized for parking. Moreover, it rains a lot here in Shillong which probably influences people to go for four-wheelers rather than two wheelers. Given the terrain and the safety concerns, cycling is also out of question. Initially I considered buying a bicycle but was advised not to in light of the road safety concerns here in Shillong.
So one fine day, the frustration of getting stuck on the road culminated into an inspiration to walk. I decided to walk to work all the way from Kench’s Trace to my office. It took me 45 mins which was almost the same time I was taking with the vehicle. Shillong already has decent stretches of defined footpaths and definitely the perfect weather for it, although global warming seems to be changing that lately. Besides, most of the places are at a walking distance in case you stay somewhere in the heart of the city. That day, while walking back from office I realized that this 1.5 hours of walking was like a great workout too. I remembered that once our Honorable Chief Minister had initiated something on these lines where he walked to work on a Wednesday. Taking inspiration, I resolved to walk to work every Wednesday. It is amusing how people go to the gym with their vehicles and then walk on the treadmill. Simple walks like these can definitely make that redundant.
Over the several walks that followed, I realized that many people walk long distances every day. But these are the people who perhaps have no choice. They do not have a personal vehicle, and they cannot afford even the public transport options which are available, though scarce. They are in a way forced to do that. But change would only come when people having all the resources with them, still decide to walk instead of taking their vehicles. I met several walking enthusiasts during my walks across the city. Some had been walking for decades, and they loved it so much that they would not even stop their walks in the rainy season. Walking in Shillong rains can be fun but you have to learn the art of maneuvering your umbrella on those congested footpaths.
One day it occurred to me that to promote walking in the city, we must get all these people together. Some sort of club may be, I pondered. There are so many clubs for cycling, biking, hiking etc., so why can’t there be a club for walking? And hence, we started the Shillong Walking Club with the vision and mission to promote walking in the city. Shillong’s main issue is the traffic congestion almost in all areas. And we thought walking can play a significant role to reduce that. Everyone knows there are certain cities in Europe and elsewhere which are like the cycling capitals of the world. They have dedicated lanes for cycling and so many other incentives that most of the population uses bicycles. Why can’t we make Shillong the walking capital of the world then?
Shillong Walking Club is an idea which got people with similar thought process together. It is still a volunteer driven model where people with love for walking contribute in whatever way possible. The members came up with a wonderful logo which captures the fundamental idea and identity of the city. We came up with T Shirts and Hoodies with the SWC logo which became so popular that the demand could not be met. We presented these hoodies to our Honorable Chief Minister and all the senior government officials to spread this movement further. We also started a social media handle to keep spreading awareness on walking. As a club, we have identified several stretches of foot paths which need immediate attention and several stretches of roads which are not even having one. We have enlisted these and submitted a petition to the Urban Affairs Department to initiate repairs and construction of new footpaths.
The SWC also identified several key issues which the walkers and pedestrians face across the city. Many footpaths/sidewalks in our area are cluttered with waste and debris which makes it difficult and hazardous for pedestrians to walk especially after rain. Some areas to mention are Polo, PB, Civil Hospital, Motphran, Laitumkhrah etc. Regular maintenance and cleaning by the Municipality is essential to ensure safe and accessible pathways for pedestrians of all ages and abilities. Many portions of the sidewalks are damaged which also discourages people to take walks specially in the evening once it gets dark. The presence of well-marked crosswalks and pedestrian signals at busy intersections is crucial for pedestrian safety. Having these pedestrian signals at traffic junctions will also signify the attempts to promote walking in the city.
Signages may be installed for important offices indicating the distance in terms of walking minutes like its done at the bigger airports. That way people can see that the place they want to go is just a 30 mins walk away. Walking routes should be displayed alongside the roads also indicating the amenities available on those routes. One App can be developed for promotion of walking in Shillong with all the needed information at one single place. The App may also prompt people on how much they have reduced their carbon footprint by choosing to walk instead of taking a vehicle to work or to market. The App can generate some kind of crypto currency which people may unlock by walking more and more and the same be used to get discount on listed stores and outlets. One of the major reasons for people not taking walks in the evenings or once its dark is the security concerns as most of the sidewalks are not well lit. This simple nudge using Solar Street Lightings shall definitely bring more people onboard for walking.
Since the inception of SWC, I have met several people during my walks and in office, who have shared that walking has immensely improved their health indicators. Many of them have seen improvement in their cardio-vascular health and many have improved their BMI. In this age, when most of the jobs require us to sit for long durations, these walking breaks can really be beneficial. I was never really into walking. Running has been one of my passions and I have done several long distance runs as well but now I am also in love with walking. And my knees definitely love walking over running. I believe that if more people join this movement and if we develop facilities for walkers over the next few years, it will play a significant role to reduce the number of vehicles on the road and also to improve the health indicators for people residing in Shillong.
So next time you have to go somewhere not very far in Shillong, consider taking a walk. For a greener and healthier Shillong.