Kala Ghoda fest ready to downsize, Bombay High Court told

The Bombay High Court was on Monday informed by the Kala Ghoda association that the number of stalls in the upcoming Kala Ghoda festival could be reduced and some of the stalls moved into the lawns of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangralaya museum.

The museum has offered the use of its lawns for putting up stalls, the association told the court.

The information was part of the minutes of the meeting convened between local residents, the association and the police on Saturday, after the court had directed the three to try working out an amicable solution to the issues brought before the court.

A division bench of Justice V M Kanade and Justice Revati Mohit Dhere was informed that security was a major concern and that the court should look into it. The court had earlier observed that "Try to resolve the issues amicably; so far as the grievances are concerned, after 16 years they (Kala Ghoda residents) have complained. People of Mumbai are generally resilient."

The court has now directed the state government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to appear before it and put across their stand on Tuesday. The directions were given during during the hearing of a petition filed by local resident Berges Malu complaining about the nuisance and safety risks which the festival posed to those living in the area.

A monitoring committee appointed by the HC to review the festival had earlier raised the security and public order issue in addition to other problems faced by local residents like traffic, cleanliness and hygiene.

The festival will be held in February at its usual location, the K Dubash Marg in Kala Ghoda.