TIMES CITY >> Creating open spaces THE TIMES OF INDIA, MUMBAI | SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012 LAYOUT RECREATION GROUNDS | FORTS & HISTORIC PRECINCTS | HILLS & FORESTS | CITY FORESTS | PEOPLE-FRIENDLY RAILWAY STATIONS | AREA NETWORKING ‘ HELP SOCIAL NETWORKING’ OPEN SPACES Uma Kadam TIMES NEWS NETWORK Cross Maidan gets a clean, mean look Hemant Shirodkar magine being able to walk or cycle from Mal- ad to Colaba or Chem- bur to south Mumbai along well-maintained walking-and-cyclingI tracks, with gardens and parks to view or rest in along the way. Maybe you could even stop by a beach. Sounds unreal, especially in a city like Mum- bai, which offers an abysmal amount of open space to its 12.4 million residents. Before But this is one of the longer-term goals of the Open Mumbai plan being promoted by city architect P t was a long-drawn battle K Das and his team, who for residents of Churchgate seek to change the way Mum- Ito get the authorities to take bai deals with open spaces. note of four acres of Cross After The plan may sound fanciful Maidan that had turned into but a year of research, doc- a no-man’s land. The space that umentation, mapping and was encroached upon and ren- collating statistics has gone dered absolutely unusable be- Cross-Over To Beauty into developing a vision that came a sanctuary for residents in June 2010. Nearly four acres G For years, Cross Maidan remained encroached upon, its seeks to place “people and of Cross Maidan near Church- fences were broken and it was rendered unusable community life at the centre gate at one end of Fashion Str- G The maidan’s beautification was conceptualized by the of planning, not real estate eet was thrown open to public. Organisation for Verdant Ambience and Land (Oval) Trust and construction potential”. For years, the patch had be- G In June 2010, nearly four acres of the new-improved maidan The team has mapped a come a cradle for hutments were thrown open to the public variety of open spaces and and fences were broken. Resi- G The plot now has a large expanse of trees, lawns, walking other green zones across the dents recall it as a virtual city,in the bargain conclud- tracks as well as benches for senior citizens WHERE’S MY PLAYGROUND? A bird’s-eye view of the Andheri-Malad area shows high-rises and slums battling for space and just a “dumping ground”. ing that Mumbai sprawls The Organisation for Ver- small barren patch of land that could serve as a recreation area across 482.7 square kilome- dant Ambience and Land We used the ground as tres and not 437, as com- It took us years to (Oval) Trust conceptualized get the govt to one of the venues for monly cited. The team has residents’ dignity and qual- Roadblocks cleared for Juhu ‘city forest’ the project’s beautification. concluded that an incredible ity of life.” pay heed to this Kala Ghoda festival. A Proposed city forest design The plot now has a large ex- 43%, or 208.2 sq km, of Mum- An example of how an This is a major win panse of trees, lawns, walking plot. Now, Cross Maidan gate must be made at bai includes green zones like area can be interlinked is in for residents who tracks and benches for seniors. the Veer Nariman Road gardens, playgrounds, en- the Juhu Vision Plan, which The Cross Maidan garden garden must be taken croached open spaces, no-de- seeks to integrate the beach were fighting a losing was handed over to the Oval as an example of how a end to attract more velopment zones, lakes, wet- with playgrounds, walking battle since 2004. We Trust in 2006. At that time, it haven can be created visitors. The encroached lands and beaches. Much of and cycling tracks. Authori- hope this will restore the was discovered that the gov- ground is cleared. It is this can be developed as pub- ties have already begun ernment resolution (GR) did with consistent efforts. lic spaces or at least pro- building tracks along the Irla city forest as visualized not include more than an acre The govt must ideally an example of how a tected from land sharks; Nullah with MPLAD funds Before After Ashoke Pandit | MEMBER, of the southern edge of the do its work and dump yard can be mangroves, for example, given by Javed Akhtar. SAVE OPEN SPACES IN JUHU ground hawkers had encroa- then seek converted into could have boardwalks for Overall, Das’s team calls ched upon. “The process of get- viewing or strolls. for amendments and provi- fter a seven-year-long save the plot on January 18, ting another GR for that space citizens’ help a green haven The plan seeks to link sions to be included in the Get the Plot took many years, and this area battle with a private 2011, and met municipal co- Shirin Bharucha | neighbourhoods to parks, Development Plan and De- agency, members of G In 2004, citizens started a mmissioner Subodh Kumar. was handed over to the trust Nayana Katpalia | A WORKS WITH URBAN walking tracks, beaches and velopment Control Regula- Save Open Spaces (SOS), battle to save an 18-acre Juhu Citizens submitted a de- in October 2009. The entire pro- TRUSTEE, RENEWAL TRUSTS promenades. “It seeks to net- tions to facilitate a a Juhu citizens group, succ- plot earmarked as ‘city forest’ sign plan, which was appro- cedure was lengthy but we OVAL TRUST work open spaces in a way makeover in Mumbai. The eeded in saving a vital recre- G ved by civic authorities. kept going,” said Nayana Kath- In Jan 2011, a delegation palia, one of the trustees of the that enables and nurtures plan calls for an Open Mum- ation ground plot, earmarked met civic chief Subodh Kumar The design plan includes social networking. Disparate bai Board, made up of gov- as a ‘city forest’ at JVPD growing a forest alongside Oval Trust. G In March 2011, Kumar open spaces, disparate ac- ernmental agencies and cit- scheme. It was former mu- the Irla nullah, building “Even after the plot was approved a proposal to handed over to us, the gov- tivity, disparate public life izens’ groups, to prepare a nicipal commissioner S S cancel Ronson Foundation’s walking and cycling tracks, can be integrated into a com- comprehensive plan for de- Tinaikar’s vision. introducing cultural spaces ernment gave it without clear- lease, which had been given ing the encroachments. In fact, prehensive whole,” Das says. veloping open spaces, The plot is adjacent to such as a small amphithe- on a caretaker basis even now there is a commer- “The quality of public “thereby improving the Vidyanidhi High School at atre, an art exhibition cen- G In Aug 2011, BMC gave its cial office functioning in the spaces a city offers its resi- quality of life and environ- JVPD scheme. Citizens had tre, children’s play area and nod to take possession of plot garden which needs to be dents is a reflection of the ment of the city”. made a last-ditch effort to a garden. cleared,” Kathpalia said. Shriram Vernekar First Pasta Lane walks up the garden path It has benefited he struggle was proba- cies, First Pasta Lane of Cola- plots earmarked as gardens bly as long and difficult ba finally got a green lung. and a recreational ground. The the whole Tas the task to transform It all began 23 years ago movement lost momentum lat- community. an encroached space into a with a residents’ movement er and was revived in 2006 wh- Because of the kitchen, lush garden. After a long court against an eatery’s kitchen, a en the First Pasta Lane Resi- there was a lot of battle and follow-ups with the godown and a garage that had dents’ Association, through an BMC and government agen- encroached upon municipal RTI query, found out that the pollution. But now, we eatery stood on a BMC plot. have a long stretch of Pasta Perfect Residents followed up with open space, which is the BMC for over two years and G 23 years ago, Colaba residents first raised their voice against the kitchen was demolished. unusual in Mumbai. We an eatery’s kitchen, a godown and a garage that had encroached Preparations to create the gar- have greenery and a upon municipal plots earmarked as gardens and a ground den started in December 2009, G In 2008, BMC demolished the eatery’s kitchen; preparations to garden. Neighbouring After said Vijay Advani, joint secre- create the garden started in December 2009 and it was thrown slumdwellers also use it open to the public in 2010 tary of the First Pasta Lane Re- sidents’ Association. Dilip Mehrotra | A RESIDENT Now, cabbies New mayor wants a clean, threaten strike from beautiful and secure city March 19 Prabhu iterated his agenda to Borivli, secured 122 votes, Ramdas Athavle. Independents fulfill promises made in the while his rival, Harun Khan Thackeray later said that Manthan K Mehta | TNN party manifesto. “I want a (NCP), got 65 votes. the Sena, BJP, RPI worked clean, beautiful and a secure The process went on for together to get the numbers. Mumbai: Nearly 35,000 taxis & Allies Help Mumbai. I am aware that the over six hours as each corpo- “The independents believe in have threatened to go an in- city has many challenges to rator voted by a show of hand our agenda. Thirteen inde- definite strike from March Prabhu Win; deal with.