MCA shoots a letter to the civic body demanding removal of controversial pole from green lung
MCA shoots a letter to the civic body demanding removal of controversial pole from green lung
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It took a terse letter from the joint secretary of Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), Lalchand Rajput, to make the BMC realise that it had "mindlessly" put up a lamp post on the Shivaji Park grounds last month, causing inconvenience to around 350 aspiring cricketers practicing on the green lung.
Taking cognizance of the issue following a letter from Rajput, the civic body has now decided to uproot the lamp post and install it in a safer corner of the field.
Last week, Rajput had written a letter to the BMC's G North Ward (Dadar, Mahim) office, demanding the removal of the lamp post put up on Shivaji Park grounds.
Rajput said, "It was necessary to bring the issue to their attention. There are children running on the field and they might hit themselves against the pole, which could prove fatal. So, we wrote a letter to the BMC, requesting it to remove the lamp post at the earliest."
He added that there were eight pitches on the ground where at least 16 teams practised every day. "Around 350 aspiring crickets practice on the ground daily.
The lamp post, installed inside the fences, is not only dangerous for players, but it also causes an obstruction during a match," he said.
A coach associated with Springfield School in Bandra, Raju Pathak, said, "The post has been causing problem for the children practising on the pitch. It is good that the MCA has taken up the issue with the BMC."
Chetan Kakde (19), an aspiring cricketer and a resident of Khar, said, "I have been practising here for years now. One fine morning, I saw the BMC people mindlessly installing a lamp post on the field.
They did not spare a thought that it would create problems for us. There should not be any thing on an open ground meant for outdoor sports activity as it causes distraction."
The Other Side
Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Zone II) Kishore Kshirsagar, "We will uproot the lamp post at the earliest and install it in a safer place outside the boundary line." BMC's standing committee chairperson Rahul Shewale said, "The MCA officials and ward officer had gone to the spot wherein it was decided to shift the light post 10 feet back beyond the fences so that it does not cause any problem to the players."