Mumbai: 7 acre Bandra reclamation plot to be city's first athletics hub

A 7acre open space in Bandra Reclamation will be turned in to the cityrsquos first public athletics hub According to reports the neglected ground near Rangasharda Auditorium will soon be revived and is expected for the public by next monthAccording to Mumbai Mirror the new 7acre open ground will have nationallevel track and field sports amenities walking and jogging tracks and a garden The facility is being constructed from state government funds which are estimated to be Rs 11 croreThe facility which will boast of nationallevel track and field sports amenities walking and jogging tracks and a garden is being constructed using state government funds at a cost of Rs 11 croreThe land which was abandoned for almost 40 years was reserved for recreation ground however it was exploited by illegal encroachments and dumping of construction debris and it is commercial exploitation MHADA authorities and local residents also turned it into a battleground due to its poor state Officials claimed that commercial activities were banned at the ground after Bombay High Court issued an order in 2017A local BJP MLA Ashish Shelar had pushed for the land revival project He had also secured funds from the District Planning and Development Council He said We are transforming an abandoned encroached ground into a nationallevel sports facility It will also have space for traditional Indian sports like malkhamb and kabaddi as well as track and field events like discus and javelin throws Work is going on in full swing The facility will open shortlyrdquoSpeaking to the website the Shelar said that several efforts have been made to revamp the neglected ground It was levelled and loads of debris were removed as part of the revampHe said ldquoThe sports facility will also have a toilet and a changing room for athletes We are laying storm water drains to make sure that there is no flooding in the monsoon It took a lot of effort to get some encroachments from the adjacent slum pocket removedrdquoMHADA authorities also assured that a local NGO or sports authorities will also be appointed to maintain the ground and sports facility ldquoThe fees for using the facility will be nominal and it will be open to all residents of the city The use and operation will be governed by MHADArdquo said an officialThe move sees positive reactions from the locals Vidya Vaidya of the Bandra Reclamation Area Volunteers Organisation quipped that the ground should remain a usable open space for residentsldquoThis is a welcome move This was an open space that was lying in neglect for over 40 years It was totally misused and had turned into a debris dumping site This should be accessible to all residents for leisure and sportsrdquo she saidLast year MHADA issued permission to a circus to perform on the ground and after the locals protested against the move the approval was revoked Local residents had said that the circus would hit the grounds revamp process Ashish Shelar and a group of locals had held a huge protest outside the MHADA office against the dumping of garbage on the ground in May last yearTop stories of the dayDeath by Garbage Man dies under weight of waste in KurlaVideo Minor boys perform deathdefying stunt on Mumbai local trainMumbai CSMTs hitech indicators make commuters unhappyMumbai Crime 55year old doctor rapes model in Versova arrestedVisually challenged Mumbai boy 95 percent in ICSEBanned stapler pins on your tea bags FDA is waiting for your complaintTalaq not qubool says Bhiwandi woman to husbandFour cars catch fire in two days on MumbaiPune ExpresswayMumbai Drop in road accident deaths in city suburbsMumbai Relief for flat owner who owes society dues of Rs 491 lakh42 cats dogs rescued from unhygienic Virar flatKumbh pe kharcha and other matters in polls pe charchaS K Patil Udyan in south Mumbai opens after eight monthsJoblessness is the real terrorismResearchers at IITB develop first ever microprocessor major boon for Indias electronicsTwitterati reacts to Narendra Modis comment on Gandhi family using INS Viraat as personal taxiCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get the latest updates