Beauty pill in offing for Bandra Promenade ……….Ashley DMello
Work on a new-look promenade for Bandra Reclamation,which will give the congested suburbs an area to relax,has already begun.The Bandra side of Mahim Bay,now more famous as a lovers haunt,will get an iconic glass tower,joggers track,cyclists path and an amphitheatre for cultural events in the new promenade.
The beautification project is scheduled to cost Rs 8 crore.While work on the gardens,parks and tracks is expected to be complete in six to eight months,the rest of the project will take over a year to be completed.
Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) superintending engineer,N Ghanekar,said the project will be executed by DB Realty,on a public-private – partnership (PPP) basis.DB Realty will pay the MSRDC Rs 99 lakh each year for 15 years and will be allowed to display their company name on boards at 50 metre intervals.They will not be allowed to put up any other companys name or message, said Ghanekar.
MSRDC officials said the existing promenade needed to be spruced up.The present design which will be taken up was submitted by UNITECH which was initially one of the contenders for the project.However,they chose not to compete in the final round and the project was awarded to D B Realty this month.Work has already started in full swing.
Ghanekar said the idea was to have the Bandra Reclamation Promenade landscape done up in such a way that it would become a meeting spot for people in the area.The area has now been charted out in such a manner that it will provide recreational spaces and relaxation areas in the congested suburbs, said Ghanekar.
There will be seven pillars or Saptadweep Stambhas.There will be artistic depictions from the time of Ashoka whose influence is seen in this area.This will be followed by acknowledgements of the contributions of the Rashtrakutas and Silaharas who dominated the area from the 3 to 4 AD.Then came the medieval ages when the Sultans of Gujarat annexed this area.This was followed by the advent of the Portuguese,followed by Maratha rule and finally the British era, said Ghanekar.
This area was the scene of a lot of strife between rival powers for supremacy.You have the Mahim and the Bandra forts on either side of the bay,and both of them have a history full of conflict, he added.
We will have depictions on the pillars right up to the post-independence times,including of course the freedom struggle, said Ghanekar.
Bandra-Mahim Promenade
* The beautification of the promenade is being undertaken in a way that will depict the many historic as well as recent landmarks.It will give Mahim bay a new identity
* Seven pillars depicting local history of the seven islands which comprise Mumbai.They will have metal plaques depicting the ancient history of the region right from the time of Ashoka,the medieval period,the Portuguese,then the British Era to the present day
* A one-km long joggers track with special care to give senior citizens their own space
* A cyclists path which will go all along the promenade
* A wharf amphitheatre which will seat 150 persons.It will have a sundial in the centre and provide an opportunity for cultural groups including Kolis to stage their events
* A 22-metre tower of destiny,an iconic glass tower designed on the lighthouses of old,will be at the entry point
– The classic promenade feel is not lost but enhanced more with ornamental and accent lighting and paving materials.The promenade will be at the crossroads of the new road system and the old Causeway.The amphitheatre is in straight alignment with the Mahim Fort
– SHALLOW AREA IN LOOP OF UNDERPASS TURNS INTO A SUNDIAL,AMPHITHEATRE
– THE FESTIVE DECK WILL HAVE 7 COLUMNS SYMBOLISING THE 7 ISLANDS OF MUMBAI
– THE SHEESH MINAR WILL BE A VIEWING TOWER TILL A CERTAIN LEVEL WITH A BEACON AT THE TOP
– SHALLOW AREA IN LOOP OF UNDERPASS TURNS INTO A SUNDIAL,AMPHITHEATRE
– THE FESTIVE DECK WILL HAVE 7 COLUMNS SYMBOLISING THE 7 ISLANDS OF MUMBAI
– THE SHEESH MINAR WILL BE A VIEWING TOWER TILL A CERTAIN LEVEL WITH A BEACON AT THE TOP