Lucky residents of Carter Road, Bandra, will have a noise-free day this Sunday after banning all motorised vehicles between seven in the morning and ten in the night on that stretch of road.
Imagine an entire day in the middle of noisy Mumbai, without the grating sound of car horns or revving of engines. Lucky residents of Carter Road, Bandra, will have such a noise-free day this Sunday after banning all motorised vehicles between seven in the morning and ten in the night on that stretch of road.
The car-free day is aimed at reducing pollution and improving the quality of life of residents. The main focus is to encourage zero pollution mobility like walking and cycling and reduce greenhouse gas emissions for a day.
At least 40,000 residents have pledged to participate. “We chose Carter Road as it is always congested by traffic. The idea is to get rid of cars to reduce pollution and fuel consumption.
“The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board will measure pollution levels before and after the car-free day,” said Anandini Thakoor, a Khar resident.
The people behind the initiative are members of the Khar-Bandra-Santa Cruz (KBS) Foundation.
Seema Tiwari, advisor to the foundation, said, “Quality of life is not about sitting in your AC cars and houses, but coming out on to the streets and enjoying the fresh air with friends and family. Living with so many cars in a closed environment is unhealthy. When cars are stopped for a day, people can breathe easy as the pollution levels reduce. The main focus is get people to enjoy walking or cycling on the road that day.”
KBS Foundation intends to make it a fun-filled day and will be adding activities like dance and spinning classes, Tibetan yoga and an art camp. There will also be food joints, with restaurants in Bandra participating.
Tiwari said, “In Mumbai this is a pilot project funded by the Phirozshah Godrej Foundation, but we need government support,” Tiwari said.
Naresh Karmarkar, a participant and Bandra-resident said, “It will focus people’s attention on the issue of traffic pollution. As it’s not a pedestrian-friendly city, it will help focus on a lot of issues.”
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