Don’t move my katta, please?

Last week on Independence Day the Mayor of Mumbai Ritu Tawde threw open the gates of her home in Bycullarsquos verdant Rani Baug inviting Mumbaikars to avail of the space for their morning walks Under the arrangement residents can access the premises between 6 am and 9 am every day where they get to use the footpath adjoining the bungalow before entering the sprawling grounds of the official residence within the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan amp Zoo complexIt was a welcome move going by the enthusiasm that it elicited from spacestarved city folks Given the arearsquos natural heritage green organisations also gave it a thumbsup since it enabled walkers to marvel at the rich tree cover that exists in these green lungsWhile this idea seems to have brought cheer within the neighbourhood it also put the spotlight on the lack of open spaces in the city Be it open grounds or parapets and pavements the obvious facilities that came as part and parcel of most large housing societies in the conventional mould are no longer available Readers of a certain vintage yours truly included will recall this building plan around which they grew up where they would spend hours playing with friends in open safe spaces within the compound without the fear of speeding traffic or the limitations of endless parked cars It also meant hanging out with lsquobuildingrsquo friends does that term exist anymore after homework was done where postdinner walks along leafy pavements made for the calming way to end a day Jogging the memory to recall and write these nostalgic moments down is also a reminder of how much our cityscapes have changed With alarming rapidity one must addNo longer are these sites part of newer building plans oops I meant township plans where clubhouses and aircon jogging tracks Balistyle bungalows and lsquoactivityrsquo areas come part of the glossy package The simple basics seemed to have gotten lost amidst the fanfare and overkill of amenities Beyond housing plans even public playgrounds and gardens that once boasted of broad parapets lsquokattasrsquo in local lingo and safe evenlylaid footpaths that lined these playgrounds have all but disappeared from Mumbairsquos streetscape From my experience I recall many eventful moments along the long and buzzing katta that faced the Ruia College and Podar College in Matunga From Rose Day group photos to Antakshari sessions it was an extension of college life This katta was positioned between the cricket maidans on one side and the charms and quirks of college life on the other Over time I noticed that this integral part of our college frame got increasingly compromised thanks to a host of factors From the increasing number of kiosks and vendors that sprang up in record time legally or otherwise wersquoll never know I was shocked to spot how this growing army had usurped the oncecherished space Soon enough other elements crept in The broad katta was rebuilt as a lower narrower version in the name of an lsquoupgradersquo how often has that word cheated our sensibilities in this city Even the pavement the scene for many cherished truthordare moments or impromptu gigs was an aberration of the original Overall what emerged was a terrible redrawing of a popular landmark opposite the two colleges In the larger picture such redrawings were being simultaneously charted out across the city The RuiaPodar College katta was one example where a public open space was heavily compromised within a decade or the likeSpeaking of colleges a related fallout of this crunch of open spaces is the scant regard for creating playgrounds within schools and colleges International accreditations they might boast of yet many of these educational institutions still donrsquot have an operational playground let alone a basketball or badminton court for kids to engage in activities In newlybuilt colleges the scenario is far worse Then again we could be wrong mdash perhaps they do have a lsquoclubhousersquo insideThe problem seems to be a deepset one The necessity to incorporate open spaces playgrounds and safe walking pavements for Mumbairsquos general junta is on the way to being entirely phased out of new urban development plans when it comes to public facilities The need ceases to exist in the plannersrsquo mindsets is our guess Other lsquoamenitiesrsquo like ugly ginormous art installations take precedence in the name of benefit read art And if these modern museum pieces arenrsquot around the hawker mafia will ensure no square foot is sparedThe need of the hour is to reevaluate the importance that public open spaces have traditionally had in Mumbaikarsrsquo lives and the ecosystem that thrived around them Until this realisation occurs citizens and streeties like this cutie in the photo might find the ground beneath their feet shifting quickly and uncomfortably in the near future And as this plays out wersquoll have to witness the redefining of a distinct urban character once and for allmiddayrsquos Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the cityrsquos sights sounds smells and stoneswherever the ink and the inclination takes her She tweets bombayanaSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paper