Mumbai: City’s lone skate park at Hindmata flyover to stay shut till monsoon ends

Skateboarders practice at the spot on July 30. File pic/Ashish Raje

The city' skateboarding community faces another setback as F South ward officials plan to shut down the skate park under the Hindmata flyover until the end of the monsoon season. The move comes after skateboarders requested authorities to fix the leaky roof and install a better drainage system.

As the leaks from the flyover lead to the accumulation of a lot of water, skateboarders spend about an hour just clearing up. Just last week, 22-year-old Prem Gharti, who travels all the way from Ambernath to Dadar to use the park, allegedly slipped and injured himself because of the wet floor. "I was injured just above the eye, and was bleeding," he said. Gharti has taken a break from his job to practise skateboarding and participate in national and international competitions.

Prem Gharti, who got injured because of the wet floor

Mahesh Patil, the ward's assistant commissioner, said, "There are a lot of issues surrounding the skate park, and we are planning on shutting it down till the end of the monsoon."

Skateboarders believe this is unfair. "The whole point of that skate park was that it could be used during the monsoon as it is under a roof. There is Carter Road to practise after the monsoon, and this park won't be of much use then," said Azar, a skateboarder since 2012, who has been using the park since June.

Despite the problems, the skateboarders would rather have the park than not have it at all. "This was the only free-to-use place in Mumbai where we could skateboard during the rains," said Azar, who also holds skateboarding classes.

Access has been an issue for these skateboarders ever since this park opened in April. It was locked up until recently as authorities found many alcoholics loitering in the area. mid-day on July 5 reported on how the skaters had to climb over the gates to gain access. Asked if shutting it down completely is fair to the skateboarders who come from faraway places to use it, Patil refused to comment.

The skate park is part of the BMC's beautification project, where vacant spaces under the flyover are converted into recreational public areas. The total cost for six such spaces under three flyovers in south Mumbai, including the skate park, is over Rs 4 crore.

2012
Year Azar became a skateboarder