HC nod to organise Kala Ghoda festival, with some riders

The festival is slated to be held between February 7 to February 15, 2015. The High Court had earlier set up a committee in February, following a petition filed by Berges Malu, a resident, who complained about “inconvenience and nuisance” caused to people living in the area on account of the nine-day event as well as the safety and security risk.

The organisers have been asked to keep fire extinguishers at each stall if possible. “They can seek the help of the fire department and can hire or purchase the extinguishers also,” said the HC. The Kala Ghoda Association has also been asked to ensure that sufficient mobile toilets are provided. “They should be cleaned at regular intervals. Care should also be taken that the noise level shall not exceed the decibel level fixed in the areas,’’ added the HC.

“We direct BMC to ensure that garbage, wet and dry, is collected and disposed off every two hours by a team of garbage collectors. The organisers will appoint a separate house keeping team for this purpose,’’ said the court.

The petitioner had submitted that there in no adequate space for ambulances or fire engines to come inside, leakages from public toilets created foul odour and could lead to health risks, and that people who attended were soft targets similar to the 26/11. The petitioner also sought direction for curtailing the number of days the festival was held for.

“The organisers have proposed to cut down on the number of stalls on the road from 89 to 50. They have also obtained permission from the director of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Museum (CSMVS) to have some stalls on the grounds of the Museum,” said the Judges.