Mumbai mayor orders park cleanup after viral clip

Mumbai: A viral Instagram post pointing at the poor condition of the skate park beneath the Hindmata flyover in Dadar (East) had the Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde conduct an inspection and order an immediate clean-up of the facility.The post, uploaded by a resident, Harsh Chaubey, showed heaps of dust and garbage inside the skate park and flagged concerns that the neglected condition of the facility posed health risks to children and skating enthusiasts who use it regularly. The video quickly gained traction on social media.Taking cognisance of the post, Tawde visited the skate park on Saturday along with civic officials and inspected the premises. Expressing displeasure over the condition of the public facility, she directed officials to undertake immediate cleaning and ensure regular maintenance in the future.Following her instructions, sanitation workers cleaned up and removed accumulated garbage and dust from the park before washing the entire premises. The BMC said the facility was restored within hours. The Mayor also instructed officials to carry out necessary repair works, repaint damaged sections, improve drainage to prevent rainwater accumulation, strengthen lighting arrangements and deploy security personnel to safeguard the public amenity.“The positive use of social media by vigilant citizens can become a powerful tool for resolving civic issues. We will continue to take prompt cognisance of genuine complaints and suggestions made by residents,” Tawde said during the inspection while appealing to citizens to help maintain public infrastructure.Chaubey, whose Instagram post triggered the civic response, later joined the Mayor at the site. Tawde appreciated his civic awareness, saying that responsible citizens and socially conscious youth were among Mumbai’s greatest strengths. As part of the visit, the Mayor and Chaubey also planted ornamental saplings, including zebra plants and spider lilies, as part of an effort to beautify the public space beneath the flyover.The skate park, spread over 187 sq m beneath the Hindmata flyover near Gold Cinema, was developed by the BMC's F South ward between Dec 2022 and March 2023 as part of an urban beautification project. Besides skating facilities, it houses recreational installations, including a Mallakhamb sculpture, musical play equipment and children’s games.