Mumbai, June 2 -- It has been nine months since the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) made five streets in south Mumbai's Kala Ghoda art precinct pedestrian-only spaces. From 7pm to midnight during the weekends, temporary barricades are placed at the entrance of these five streets to keep out all vehicles, offering residents and visitors rare relief from incessant honking and noxious fumes. But the efforts to pedestrianise these streets have been far from idyllic. Though inspired by pedestrian-only streets in Europe, paintings and lights are being installed along these roads in a haphazard manner and there is no provision for drainage, say visitors. The deadline for replacing the concrete surface with cobblestones has also been pushed from April to beyond the monsoon even as ongoing work has made the roads uneven, increasing chances of people tripping and falling. "Everything about the ongoing work is incomplete and leaves a lot to be desired," said Karun Arya, who visits the Kala Ghoda precinct regularly for work. Work on revamping Forbes Street, adjacent to Rhythm House, started in December and was largely completed by January, he said, barring a few incomplete patches which still appear as eyesores. "There are parts where the stones have abrupt holes, and rubble can be seen lying on one side. A big pile of stones has been lying near the entrance of the lane and no one has bothered to remove them all this while," said Arya. The situation in four other streets under the pedestrianisation scheme - VB Gandhi Marg, Saibaba Marg, Ropewalk Street, and B Bhaurcha Marg - is similar. Squarish stones are being used to resurface the streets and the stones are being chipped with chisels to give them a rustic look, which is making the surface uneven. "It all appears nice from a distance," said Arya. "But I'm afraid I will trip on the uneven surface and fall." The fear is not unfounded, as someone wearing pencil heels recently tripped and fell in one of the streets while visiting a boutique, said Ria Aggarwal, who works in a shop in the art precinct. "I'm a big fan of the rustic look, but am afraid of walking on the streets when I'm wearing heels, I must admit," she said. Atul Kumar, president, Nariman Point Churchgate Citizen's Association (NPCCA), agreed that the relaid, uneven pathways were a problem. "Particularly for senior citizens, walking alone is not the easiest thing," he said. "It will only get worse during the rains." Kumar, Arya and others said the work was proceeding at an extremely slow pace. On Saturday, HT saw only a few workers chipping away at stones in the five streets where newly installed lamposts were jutting out from the middle, beside pavements which will host cafeterias and other commercial activities. Upscale restaurants, cafes and boutiques located along these roads are facing a temporary drop in customers due to restricted access for vehicles, even during the remainder of the week. Yet, many are hopeful that these problems will be short-lived and the transition will be worth the wait once work is complete. "Let's wait for all the work to finish before making a judgement," said Framoz Langrana, a longtime resident of Kala Ghoda. The delay was justified as workers were chiselling the paver blocks by hand, said Langrana."It is only natural that some parts will take a while longer than others. But the freedom from cars and honking is a great thing."...