Question

IN INDIAN homes, the floor of the house is always the best maintained element, cleaned twice a day and wiped down to a sparkling state. In front ofthe threshold of

the home the floor often is decorated withRangoli and other ritualdiagrams. Thisis

true in rural as well asin many urban homesin metropolitan cities. When building a 

new home people spend as much money per sq. foot for a beautiful floor as they 

would spend on the entire structure. Yet, this pride and obsession for a clean floor

suddenly vanish as we step out into the street: the floor ofthe city.

In Delhiwhere 80% ofthe people are pedestriansin some stage oftheir commuting,

least attention is paid to pedestrian paths. Delhi’s sidewalks are too narrow, very 

poorlymaintained and fullof potholes, poles, junction boxes and dangerous electrical 

installations, not to speak ofthe garbage dumpsthat stink and stare at the pedestrian. AshramChowk isa good case inpoint where thousands ofpedestrians change direction 

fromthe MathuraRoad radialto the Ring Road.Aflyoverfacilitatesthe automobiles

while the pedestrian is orphaned bythe investment­ hungry authorities. One corner of

the Ashram Chowk has a ridiculousimitationwood sculpture with an apology of a 

fountain and acrossthe same Chowk, you have the openmouthed, massive garbage 

dump right on the pedestrian path, in full exhibition forthe benefit ofthe public. These 

symbols of poor taste and abject apathyare then connected bynarrow dangerous and 

oftenwaterloggedfootpathsforthe haplesspedestriansto negotiate.Inthe night,street 

lighting in the centralmedian light up the carriagewayfor cars and leave the pedestrian 

areasin darkness. Delhi’s citizensleave home and want to get to their destination asfast theycan. No one 

wantsto linger on the road, no leisure walks, no one looks a strangerin the eye. It is on 

the pedestrian path that the citizen encounters head­on the poor pubic management 

and the excuse called ‘multiplicity ofauthorities”. One agencymakesthe road, another

dig sit up to laycables, third one comes after monthsto clear up the mess and the cycle 

of unaccountabilitygoes on. Meanwhile crones are spent in repairing the carriageway 

for vehicles and in construction offlyovers without a care for the pedestrians below. Solutionoffered istomake anexpensiveunderpass or anuglyfoot overbridge, ostensibfor facilitating the pedestrian, while in realitytheyonlyfacilitate the carsto move faster

at the expense ofthe pedestrians.Take KashmiriGate, ITO,AshramChowk,AlIMS 

or Dhaula Kuan.At all these important pedestrian cross­over pointsthe story isthe 

same: Theyhave pulled the sidewalk fromunder the pedestriansfeet.

Inmoderncities acrosstheworld, the pedestrianis king.The floor ofthe cityis designed 

and maintained as an inclusive environment, helping the physically challenged, the old 

and the infirm, children and the ordinarycitizen to move joyfullyacrossthe city. Delhi 

aspiresto be ‘ world class city’. Hopefullythe authoritieswould look once againat the 

floor ofDelhi. The pleasure ofstrolling on the road is deeply connected to oursense of citizenship 

and sense ofbelonging. Pride in the citygrows onlyona welldesigned floor ofthe city 

A. Write a summary of the above passage​



plss tell me​

Answer 1

Answer:

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