Paintings by JJ students, neon lights give Navi Mumbai new look

The dingy and dark underpasses will soon be history in Navi Mumbai

The dingy and dark underpasses will soon be history in Navi Mumbai. A drive through some of the underpasses in Navi Mumbai with its beautiful neon hues is akin to driving under a starlit sky.

Painting of galaxy at Seawoods underpass in Navi Mumbai. (Bachchan Kumar/HT photo)

Thanks to the students of JJ School of Arts and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), the subways and walls in the city have been beautified with colourful paintings and the NMMC has illuminated them with neon lights.

Residents are now having fun taking joy rides under these subways.

“As you drive through the Seawoods underpass, the colourful hues make it look like staring into the galaxy. With different planets on one side and the stars in neon colours, it is hard to believe that you are on a street in Navi Mumbai,” said Janki Narayan, 33, resident of Seawoods.

As part of NMMC’s Swachh Survekshan 2021, the underpasses and subways within the city are illuminated with creative art works.

“We were allotted different spaces in each ward to paint. I had a team in Belapur, where we made a galaxy-based theme and used colours accordingly. We painted the ceiling of the subways during the night and the sides during the day. We managed to complete one subway in less than a week,” said Prasad S (23 years), a student of JJ School of Arts.

The one at Seawoods Darave is catching everyone’s eye. Besides the galaxy, they have also painted an astronaut beside the subway entrance to give it a complete effect. The NMMC planned the lights as per the colours used in the paintings, giving an additional hue to the creativity of the students.

Sunil Lad, executive engineer, NMMC, said, “We have currently finished the underpass at Vashi, Nerul LP, Sanpada and CBD Belapur. A few more will be completed in a fortnight. We are also focussing on the lakesides. Beautification also ensures that people do not litter and dirty the walls. Moreover, students can showcase their creativity.”

There are various additions in these paintings as per the space available in each ward. In Vashi, they have painted a tri-colour to mark Republic Day. The NMMC has provided the students with good quality paint that can be maintained easily and will help highlight their themes.

Abhijit Bangar, NMMC chief, said, “The quality of paint used for these paintings are such that it won’t wear off easily. Moreover, the art work will not get spoilt if the walls are washed with water. This makes it easy to maintain.”