Mumbai: ‘Let your voices be heard’

South Mumbai residents majority from Colaba and Cuffe Parade met former corporator Makarand Narwekar on Sunday morningThe freewheeling conversationdiscussion at a Colaba hotel focused on the draft for open spaces garden and playground policy by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC Narwekar called for the meet at the Colaba hotel to get some insight into the communityrsquos thoughts on the open spaces policy draftNarwekar began stating ldquoAfter a long time the BMC is out with a policy primarily with reference to Recreational Ground plots and Play Grounds RGPG This is a draft The BMC wants you to write to them If you have suggestions objections any interventions do write in by the October deadlinerdquoRevisionNarwekar while asking for opinions said that he believed the policy draft needed to be ldquorevised and redrafted Currently it is oriented towards those who have money Yet the BMC is a cash rich body and the policy should factor in people like you all who have come in for this meet on a Sunday morningrdquoNarwekar said ldquothe intentrdquo must be taken into account He elaborated ldquoThe intent to keep spaces open and maintain them The authorities must harness the physical presence of the residents which shows willingness and interest rather than harnessing money power alonerdquo As his audience listened the excorporator cautioned ldquowe must understand though that like they say there are no free lunches These grounds can have a small entry fee of R2 or so just so that in the long run they become selfsustaining and can help in keeping certain unwanted elements outrdquo Narwekar added ldquoWe need to have another round of meetings for suggestions and objections This is a casual first meetrdquoFundsThe former corporator threw the floor open to the attendees telling them they could write in make themselves heard on aspects like a small fee for entrance if they agreed or other points they wanted to raise The overall point though was not to sit silent and raise objections later but make voices heard and hopefully count at the draft stage itself and when invited to do so There was an animated discussion on how some plots especially in the suburbs had been usurped by old school politicians ldquoand those open grounds now have clubs on them with a restricted accessrdquo said Narwekar There was consensus on guarding against that Local resident Ajay Multani said ldquoThere is the question of funds for maintenance for a watchman on these grounds There are several hotels in this area Colaba They are certainly benefitting by all the beautification works in the area done by residents May be it is a good idea to ask commercial establishments to fund some maintenancerdquo Narwekar said ldquoCommercial establishments could be made to spend on the immediate outside areas that can be made mandatoryrdquo Some said the sponsor could even get some kind of visibility or publicity within the space though this has to be carefully worked outTogetherWith that the freewheeling chat moved on to collaboration That resonated widely as many said there could be a collaboration between the BMC Advanced Locality Managements or Associations and a sponsorfunding body for these gardens Several said the BMC itself could fund the maintenance not a commercial establishment since the civic body has a robust kitty with citizens maintaining vigil and alert to the ground kept open and used for the correct purpose alive to threat of encroachments or takeovers Several residents nodded to a joint effort between authorities and locals which they felt would work well The prospect of forming ldquogarden committeesrdquo also came up In the end the former corporator reiterated that residents need to organize themselves jot down their thoughts and send him valid workable suggestions after going through the policy draft minutely He will then collate and formalize after all points are in ldquoYou create the guidelines decide a framework then you can hold the elected representative responsiblerdquo he endedSeveral meetings and heated debatesdiscussions are on about the draft of this policy through the city with activists locals and political representatives pitching in Those not from the city may be confused at the interest and passion this has aroused but Mumbaikars know as there is no subject that evinces as much response as the most precious commodity in this citymdashspace