Mulund residents upset as BMC goes back on promise to restore playground

The play area dug up

Angry residents of Mulund East are in a head-on clash with the civic body after a gaping hole filled with water in the area's only playground has not been filled despite the corporation promising to do so.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had, last month dug a temporary pond at the spot, despite protests by locals, for Ganesh visarjan. It had even put up a board declaring that the pond was a temporary one and the ground would be restored after Anant Chaturdashi.

Residents near the BMC board promising restoration post-visarjan Pics/ Rajesh Gupta

A fortnight later, civic officials have done a turn-around and are now saying they will shallow-fill the pond so that it can be used for visarjans every year. Locals have alleged that the pond is now like a breeding ground for diseases. They are also angry that the playground, Jiva Mahala Ground at Veer Savarkar Marg, Mulund East, where children used to practise kabaddi and kho kho, cannot be used by them anymore.

This year, in a bid to control the traffic situation better and distribute the number of idols immersed at Morya and Meeta Ghar lakes, the civic body had created a temporary pond on this playground. The BMC had put up a board near the pond mentioning that the 10- to 12-feet structure would be restored to its original shape soon after the immersion process was over.

Children who practised at the park for sports tournaments now have to travel long distances to seek out alternative venues

The allegations
Alleging that several letters to the BMC went unanswered, a local resident, Ganesh Padgaokar, 70, said, "I had written to the BMC objecting to the pond, but they went ahead and made it anyway. Now, it has become like a marshland and we fear a dengue outbreak in the area. There's a school right beside this BMC-made swamp."

Locals also complain that the grou­nd area has become unsafe. "No security guard has been deployed near the pond. The gates remain open 24x7. No lights have been installed. Lakhs were spent to build this pond. Now, our kids need to travel far for sports practice," said another resident, Digambar Talekar.

The messed up condition of the ground in Mulund East. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

Local resident and lawyer, Sagar Devare said, "Former corporator Nandkumar Vaity had built a gym on the ground, which, too, was taken down by the BMC to build the pond. I have filed an RTI to find out exactly how much money was spent on this unnecessary project."

Sports coach Mithun Sardal, who teaches kho kho, kabaddi and other sport at the Mulund Krida Kendra, said, "Around 50 to 60 students of mine practised on this ground, but that's been rendered impossible now. I hope the BMC wakes up to our problems."

Ganesh Padgaonkar

Authority speak
Speaking to Midday, corporator Rajni Keni of Ward No. 105, said, "It was the BMC's idea to create the pond on the Jiva Mahala Ground instead of the Swami Samarth Garden. Locals did object to this project even as our officials tried to explain that retaining the pond would prove to be beneficial in the long run. It could be used for immersions next year, too. But, the residents insist they want the playground back. When our officials went to work on the field, locals stopped them."

T Ward assistant commissioner Kishor Gandhi said, "Local residents are lying that we have left the pond unattended. Every time our officials try to work on the ground, the locals interrupt them and delay the process."