A Pedestrian has NO right of passage in Powai, why single out Powai this may be true for most parts of Mumbai /Bombay.
It is a wonderful experience to take a walk in the streets of Powai in the evening, not only it energizes you but it also keeps you alert and makes you combat ready.
The first rule is to look on the surface of the road more than you look ahead, since you will have to navigate through the doggy and human poo on the road.
Since there are no walkways for pedestrians you will have to walk on the road, competing with bicycles, motorcycles, cars, auto rickshaws, trucks and also pedestrians, you need to be Agile to overcome these obstacles.
Also you will have to be alert for a speeding vehicle whose driver owns the roadway, so one has to be careful and give the vehicle right of way.
After this hard negotiation of traffic, people and excreta I finally manage to reach a pedestrian walkway which is beautiful and nice on the banks of the Powai lake.
There are enough dustbins provided but people still believe it is their birthright to litter the pathway, then there are the various vendors who sell peanuts, bhel and what not and occupy their positions on the walkway. But still is I think the only place where the pedestrians right of passage is possible in Powai.
Of course you need to be tolerant to the pollution from the road in the peak hour and hooting of horns as the traffic trundle through this congested road in the evenings.
Certain sections of the Powai lake walkway is reserved for couples who are quite active in the evening, the police sometimes arrive and take the couples in their vans for more rest and recreations until the judge is done with them.
It is a wonderful experience to take a walk in the streets of Powai in the evening, not only it energizes you but it also keeps you alert and makes you combat ready.
The first rule is to look on the surface of the road more than you look ahead, since you will have to navigate through the doggy and human poo on the road.
Since there are no walkways for pedestrians you will have to walk on the road, competing with bicycles, motorcycles, cars, auto rickshaws, trucks and also pedestrians, you need to be Agile to overcome these obstacles.
Also you will have to be alert for a speeding vehicle whose driver owns the roadway, so one has to be careful and give the vehicle right of way.
After this hard negotiation of traffic, people and excreta I finally manage to reach a pedestrian walkway which is beautiful and nice on the banks of the Powai lake.
There are enough dustbins provided but people still believe it is their birthright to litter the pathway, then there are the various vendors who sell peanuts, bhel and what not and occupy their positions on the walkway. But still is I think the only place where the pedestrians right of passage is possible in Powai.
Of course you need to be tolerant to the pollution from the road in the peak hour and hooting of horns as the traffic trundle through this congested road in the evenings.
Certain sections of the Powai lake walkway is reserved for couples who are quite active in the evening, the police sometimes arrive and take the couples in their vans for more rest and recreations until the judge is done with them.
- Sunset and Fountains at Powai Lake
The most outstanding aspect of the Powai walkway is the beautiful sunset and the musical fountains which add life and glamour at the end of a tiring day.
Of course over the months I have become a veteran and have started enjoying my evening walks in Powai, after all adaptation is the name of the Game.
But still there are days when I wonder whether it is time to move on the from this Urban hell to a Rural setting, maybe the poo with its smells maybe more pungent in the village, but I think the roads are cleaner and people nicer.
