Tags:
Journalism of Courage
MUMBAI, September 28: A group of Bandra residents has proposed to restore the Bandstand waterfront to its unspoilt state.
The decks were cleared for the Bandra Bandstand Residents Association (BBRA) after two years of concerted effort when they got official approval from local civic authorities and Collector Sanjay Chahande for a citizens’ clearance campaign.
The association proposes to reuse the debris accumulated at the seaside to create walking, jogging and cycling tracks, demarcate a utility area’ by relocating existing vendors and provide drinking water and toilet facilities to visitors. It also plans to use existing boulders to form natural steps which will provide access to the sea.
Mayor Vishakha Raut promised the help of the civic corporation. She cited the example of the Versova Residents’ Association, which in collaboration with the BMC not only cleared the encroachments on Versova beach, but also ensured that they did not resurface.
The spokesperson for BBRA Radhika Ramasubban said, “We would not like Bandstand to be regarded as a place where one can simply zoom through in fast cars, blaring music and holding drinking sessions.” Some residents have already converted a section of their gardens into vermiculture pits to deal with the problem of garbage disposal, an association member Nadeem Nusrath informed. The association also hopes that the BMC will make it mandatory for all buildings to arrange for a vermiculture pit in their compounds.
Regarding funds, Raut said corporate sponsorships would be welcome since they would provide citizens with an incentive to take up beautification of their areas. She asked corporator Bharati Aglave to generously contribute to the project from the Rs 20 lakh fund allotted to her ward by the BMC.
