There aren’t enough football grounds in Mumbai, teens’ research reveals why

Mumbai city news: The teenagers found that though there are seven playgrounds in and around their area, and none can be used by the residents.

The struggle to find space to play their favourite sport, football, drove a group of teenagers to find out why their area lacked the open spaces they need.

Picture for representation

They found that while there were seven playgrounds in and around Janta Colony in Jogeswari (East), the residents could use none of them, for various reasons.

The five students, who are from the under-privileged sections, are also barefoot researchers with the NGO Partners for Urban Knowledge, Action and Research (PUKAR), which has trained them to research about the problems they face and find solutions in their own areas.

In their findings, the group pointed out that two of the playgrounds were stuck in litigation, one was being used for weddings and other functions, two others have been encroached upon, while one of them has been closed for construction work by the BMC.

Even if these playgrounds were functional, the group found they were badly maintained and not fit for even a game of cricket or football.

The group mapped the grounds, took photographs and interviewed the people living in the colony.

The search for decent open spaces is a problem every area of this city faces. Last year, another group of barefoot researchers from PUKAR had found out how the lack of open spaces in two slum areas were affecting girls more than boys in the city.