Marine Drive-like promenade planned behind Radio Club

BMC plans to transform a stinky stretch behind Radio Club in Colaba into a promenade with plantation and illumination. The budget allocated for the project is ?1 crore.

A one-km stinky stretch behind Radio Club on Minoo Desai Road in Colaba, which has over the years become a den of anti-social elements for lack of attention from authorities, will soon turn into a promenade with plantation and illumination as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to set up a mini-Marine Drive here.

Mumbai, India - June 12, 2023: A view of the seashore littered with plastic garbage and small fishing boats parked with slums in the background during high tide, at Darya Nagar, Jamshedji Bunder, Colaba, in Mumbai, India, on Monday, June 12, 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

However, it remains to be seen whether this project is only on paper or will actually ever take off. The scepticism rises from the fact that the budget allocated is only ₹1 crore, which will be spent from the BMC’s beautification fund.

A civic official said the existing footpath is six-metre wide with flower beds in between.

“We will reposition the flower beds and set up a walking track, with plantation and illumination. Slum dwellers even drink liquor on the parapet wall. So, we will remove the existing seating arrangements on the stretch and build conical structures to prevent people from sitting on them,” she said.

Former local corporator Makarand Narwekar said it would be a green path where citizens could take a leisurely walk.

“The money is available, the hardware is with the BMC, and the software has to come from residents. By software I mean intelligence and vision. Involving people will create a sense of ownership among them. Right now, the place is in a bad shape and instead of the BMC wrapping LED lights around trees, we wanted to make it more sustainable, user-friendly and accessible. These factors were kept in mind when the architect was asked to draw up a plan,” he said.

Through the beautification fund sanctioned to every ward, the BMC ensured that for every work, residents were taken into confidence, Narewekar added.

Cynthia Fernandes from My Dream Colaba, a residents’ group, said the stretch is currently in shambles where people openly pee and defecate.

“It is like a den of drunks, and illegal activities. Once this promenade comes up and cameras are installed, families can come and enjoy it like a mini–Marine Drive,” she said.

Renu Kapoor, member of Colaba Advanced Locality Management, said a promenade is the need of hour. “Infact, we sometimes feel that we are not treated on par with those living at Malabar Hill. Why is it that a place where no minister lives should look like a garbage dump?”

She further said the fisherfolk’s colony had expanded in Colaba and they got a village-like feeling.

“When we erected Sakti Burman’s sculpture near YB Chavan auditorium, we called the fisherwomen to inaugurate it. If we are giving beautiful things and a clean environment, even the poorest of the poor should be able to benefit from it. So, a promenade is required because it is a democratic space and is not chargeable,” she added.