Residents welcome ban on firecrackers imposed by police, say he should visit more often after promenade is scrubbed clean before visit.
The hippest place for Mumbai’s elite to ‘blow up’ their money during Diwali, the Marine Drive stretch, may go silent for US president Barack Obama on November 6, the day after Diwali. On Diwali, too, there will be several dos and don'ts the residents will have to adhere to, but they are not complaining.
The police have already held a meeting with the residents of A ward, which comprises a large chunk of the Queen’s Necklace. Obama and his staff will be put up in South Mumbai.
In the meeting held on October 29, residents were asked to co-operate on several fronts, from counselling children on not bursting loud crackers, to avoiding parking on roads, in a bid to ensure that the VVIP’s visit is smooth.
The senior inspector of the Marine Drive police station has also written to the area's residents associations, around 17 of them, seeking co-operation.
“There is nothing wrong in the request. We need to respect our guests and need to understand that celebrating a festival does not mean bursting crackers in any and whichever way we want,” said Anil Bhatia, president of Marine Drive Residents Association-D Road, who has started circulating letters to residents on the request made by the police.
“The police won't allow crackers to be burst on the roads or the bylanes on November 6. On Diwali day, there will be restrictions on the kind of crackers, which the police will let us know about through the media,” said RN Somani, member Marine Drive Citizens Association.
The police have told residents that stickers will be issued so that only cars belonging to residents are allowed to park, but that too only in their premises. When contacted, Chering Dorje, DCP (zone 1), said, “Whatever the restrictions, they will be announced by our senior officers through a press conference in a day or two. There won't be separate rules for locals and visitors.”
But instead of complaining, residents want Obama to visit more often.
“After the British era, this is the first time someone is wash the promenade and the roads,” said Somani. “If he comes here every month, we will have a more organised and cleaner city,” added said Nikhil Banker, convenor of Marine Drive Youth Association.
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