From April 1, BMC to begin drive to keep Mumbai’s historical grounds clean

The current drive is part of the Swachh Mumbai Abhiyan.

The origin of these grounds, including Azad Maidan, Cross Maidan, Oval Maidan and Shivaji Park, predates the 19th and mid-20th centuries. While parks like Azad Maidan and Shivaji Park have been preferred venues for political gatherings right from the pre-Independence era, grounds like Oval and Cross Maidans are popular recreational grounds that serve as a reminder of the city’s colonial past.

“The drive will be initiated to clean up and reclaim the prominent grounds in Mumbai where regular dumping of waste and construction debris has become a regular occurrence. Since Mumbai is witnessing large-scale developmental works, civil work is underway almost everywhere, and debris and waste are dumped on these grounds by miscreants,” Kiran Dighavkar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Solid Waste Management), told The Indian Express.

The civic officials maintained that the drive will begin on April 1 and will continue till April 4. The drive will take place between 9 am and 12 noon, and the cleaning operation will include sweeping, removal of overgrown vegetation, construction debris collection, and removal of unauthorised items, including banners and posters. The drive will be carried out by the ward offices and BMC.

“We will also hold an awareness campaign aiming to sensitise people for not dumping waste on these open grounds. For a city like Mumbai, where there is scarcity of open spaces, drives like these are of utmost importance,” Dighavkar said.

Alongside this, civic officials said that starting April 1, the BMC will also clean up mini playgrounds and public open spaces that have been encroached upon or have been reeling under the issue of daily solid waste dumping.