Oval Maidan: the makeover story

I have stayed near Oval Maidan since I was a year old and I have some amazing memories of my growing-up years; we used to play in the maidan as kids. At the time, it was surrounded by a low chain-link fence and despite this, the maidan never faced any problems. Back then, there was no Nariman Point or New Cuffe Parade, and the area wasn't so commercialised. But with the growing population and the increase of a number of offices in South Mumbai, the ground started deteriorating due to overuse and lack of maintenance by the state government.

During the monsoon, the grass would grow as high as five feet but the authorities weren't bothered about mowing it. Post monsoon, the grass would dry out and the ground would turn dry and mucky. The authorities had installed wire mesh fencing, which was hacked by vagrants who would try to enter the maidan as well as sell the sliced mesh. The ground had become a hub for anti-social elements including prostitutes, vagrants and drug peddlers. The dumping of garbage and debris made matters worse; people living around the area were equally responsible for this. However, the biggest issue was that of dumping construction debris, which soon piled up into heaps and once again, the BMC didn't pay any heed. In 1978, the residents of the area formed the Oval Cooperage Residents Association (OCRA) to focus on civic issues and to keep the area clean.

Every now and then, the state government would come up with absurd ideas such as building shopping complexes, club houses and underground parking at Oval Maidan. For the underground parking project, they had planned to construct ramps on two sides of the maidan. This was ridiculous; you can't just rip open an area that has been part of the century-old Esplanade. We strongly believe that this open space is meant for the public, especially senior citizens, to spend leisure time. The state government's apathetic attitude towards the maintenance of Oval Maidan forced OCRA to persuade them (for 15 years) so they (OCRA) could restore and maintain the maidan. In 1997, the state government finally agreed and allowed the OVAL Trust (a body formed for the restoration and maintenance of the maidan) to do the same.

We have been battling against a lot of pressure regarding the inappropriate use of this ground. At one time, before the ground was handed over to the Trust, a political party wanted to put up tented accommodation on the maidan for its delegates on the occasion of the party's centenary celebrations. OCRA went to court and the High Court ruled in its favour, permitting only a part of the maidan to be used
for parking.
We had to collect enormous funds for the ground's restoration as the state government had put in a pre-condition that no funds would be available from them. However, residents of the area, corporates and citizens of Mumbai contributed willingly, with the Tatas, Trusts and other companies being the largest donors. We installed a mile-long, high-quality steel fence at the ground's circumference. To give this popular 22-acre ground a complete makeover in the year 1999, it cost us approximately Rs. 1.30 crores. When we started cleaning and levelling the ground, 350 truckloads of debris and garbage was removed.

The fact that the maidan was declared a Grade I heritage site in 1995 by the state government helped us frame rules, which we have listed at the ground's entrance. The rules mention that no event can take place at the maidan and that it is a silent zone. Even when we held the ground's inaugural event after the restoration was completed, we organised it on the Mumbai University lawns. We believe a rule has to be followed by everyone including the Trust. We had invited the then Governor of Maharashtra, late Dr. P.C. Alexander, to inaugurate the newly restored Oval Maidan; he was really happy that the Trust had changed the face of the ground.
 

As told to Pooja Patel