NEW DELHI: Thousands of fans filled Mumbai’s Marine Drive promenade on Thursday to greet the T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team. The large crowd, however, left behind a significant amount of trash, including water bottles and footwear. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) conducted a cleanliness drive throughout the night, collecting the litter in seven vehicles.
The victory parade began at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Nariman Point after 7.30 pm and concluded at Wankhede Stadium. Normally, it takes five minutes to traverse this distance, but the parade took over an hour and a half due to the dense gathering of fans. As the parade moved, a trail of waste including food wrappers, water bottles, and footwear was left behind.
In its release, the BMC revealed the extent of the trash collected, mentioning, “a huge quantity of shoes and chappals (slippers), among other things, were collected during the cleanliness drive.” They specified that footwear alone filled five jeeps, while two dumpers were employed to carry away the rest of the garbage.
The civic workers along with help from a few workers from local NGO’s which started the cleaning works at 11.30 pm on Thursday worked till 8 am on Friday trying to cover every part of the popular street and much loved promenade.
The BMC also stated, “Instead of sending this junk to the dumping ground, all these items will be sent to recycling plants.”One hundred staffers from the civic solid waste management department, along with some NGO workers, participated in the effort.
The swift cleanup ensured that Marine Drive promenade was neat and tidy by morning, restoring the popular spot for morning walkers and exercisers. Comprehensive security measures were in place during the parade, with a large police presence to prevent any incidents. Despite these efforts, at least 11 individuals needed medical attention for minor injuries or dizziness caused by the crowd.
Reflecting on the event, the police noted the substantial arrangements, stating, “during the victory parade, police deployed a large number of personnel and made elaborate security arrangements between Marine Drive and Wankhede Stadium to avoid any untoward incident.”
