Residents of this buzzing Andheri East neighbourhood are on a mission to improve their locality through community-led efforts and a festival that hopes to band people together
Locals ready the ampitheatre for the upcoming festival
Late last year — in search of respite from the heat, dust and weekend crowd — this writer headed to Bharatvan garden at the end of Military Road in Marol. We sat in the amphitheatre among a group of sari-clad women with grocery bags in tow, young boys laughing in hushed tones, and a father-son duo enjoying the open air. As the amphitheatre is situated at a height within the garden, it felt like a quiet green haven away from the city. With the first edition of Marol Utsav underway, this Sunday, the space will extend a different offering — one that packs in merriment and music.
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Residents participate in a cleanathon drive
The festival is being organised by a citizen-led and community welfare society that goes by the title, Dream Marol. Formerly known as Military Road Residents Welfare Association, the group was behind the formation of Bharatvan, an abandoned stone quarry transformed into a local park in 2000. The adage goes that if you want something to be done right, you must do it yourself. And that is true in the case of the proactive locals of Marol. Suresh Nair, project convenor of Dream Marol, shares that the group’s vision is to transform the neighbourhood into its best self with the help of citizens and local authorities.
One of Dream Marol’s weekend plastic drives, where they distribute free cloth bags and sensitise locals against single-use plastics
Their mission includes clean roads, better drainage systems and footpaths, a regulated market space, disciplined traffic, hygienic public toilets, CCTV coverage, public parking space, proper waste disposal, minimal use of plastic and increased potted plants in the area. Previously, the group has conducted a marathon, cleanathon, and weekend plastic drives, sensitising the locals about the harm of single-use plastic. Nair adds, “It is important to unite people and get them involved. That is the idea behind Marol Utsav. Our timeline to achieve nearly 80 per cent of our mission is three years. Once we achieve it in this region, it can become a prototype and be applied to other locations in Mumbai.”
A previously hosted cleanathon drive
And what better way to unite the residents of Marol than through a collaborative mela with food, music, games and more? “The Ustav will host many food stalls by home chefs from the area. We will have dance performances, games and even a free eye check-up stall by Dr Darshana Gadgil,” Nair notes. In an effort to encourage proper recycling methods and the disuse of single-use plastic, SUN Start Upcycling Now Pvt Ltd will conduct waste disposal workshops and games. Director Natasha Dcosta shares, “We are reaching out to people to contribute dry waste that can be used to fill empty bottles and make upcycled seats. The process leads to awareness about the amount of waste generated by one family, and the importance of waste segregation. We will also urge people to pledge their dry waste to us for proper recycling.”
Suresh Nair and Natasha Dcosta
Another highlight of the event is the music performances by Dream Marol Band made up of nearly 25 local musicians. IT professional, singer and Marol Ustav host, Dhiresh Poojary tells us that with several musicians across ages in the band, they plan on playing the latest popular records, old Bollywood tracks as well as the Dream Marol theme song composed and performed by Marolkars.
On: April 23; 4.30 pm to 10 pm
At: Bharatvan Garden Amphitheatre, Marol
Log on to: @dreammarol
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