As most residents would agree, Bandra, like the rest of Bombay, is in a downward spiral when it comes to cleanliness and sanitation.
An evening walk up the old lane that leads from H.K. Bhabha Road to Mount Mary’s Basilica led to an unpleasant and unexpected surprise. This lane had been the site of a battle of sorts about 5 years ago, between the residents of Bandra and a certain celebrity, a relatively recent resident of the area, who unilaterally built a ramp there. While that battle was won by the citizens, the lane has since been forgotten again. The said lane leads to century-old steps that used to connect the area now known as Bandstand, to Mount Mary’s.
I was dismayed to see the state of the steps, which are a part of Bandra’s heritage. Garbage, debris & yard waste lined the entire south side of the steps and lane, from outside the rear entrance of “Retreat House” up to the celebrity’s mansion. It was disturbing to see that what was once a path for pilgrims to a holy site, a fact that was well discussed 5 years ago during the battle with the celebrity, was in this state of neglect. With few options to clean up the mess, I turned to the Facebook group known as “Khar & Santa Cruz Civic Issues”, spearheaded by activist & Santa Cruz resident Deyasini Choudhury. Though focusing on the civic issues of Khar & Santa Cruz, it now covers those of Bandra too, being a part of the BMC’s H/West ward.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that within a few days of letting the group know of the state of Bandra’s heritage steps, the BMC finally took action. A small garbage van drove up the lane right up to the old steps on the morning of November 12th, & extracted tons of dirt & debris.
While the heritage steps themselves are in bad shape due to years of neglect, dumping garbage at such a place is the height of civic irresponsibility. Though the steps have been cleared of garbage at the time of this writing, it remains to be seen as to how long this will last. Each of us, therefore, must do what we can to speak up, and take action when we are at the receiving end of such unpleasant surprises.
Bandra’s heritage remains in the hands of Bandorans. While common citizens have limited means and resources to turn to for help, let us try and save Bandra, especially places like this, that deserved to be saved for future generations. Hopefully, the steps themselves can someday be restored to their former glory.
