Kolkata: Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra on Saturday posted on his X handle regarding the recent development of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) turning a garbage dumpyard on a stretch below Baguiati flyover on VIP Road into a vibrant hangout zone, saying that the clipping of the sports facilities has gone global with comments that marvel at the optimal and beneficial use of urban space. TOI earlier reported on the initiative after the community zone was opened for public use.“It is indeed a wonderful addition to Kolkata and will add to the already transforming image of the city,” Mahindra posted on X.A 100 m stretch at the Baguiati Joramandir crossing below Baguiati flyover on VIP Road, which earlier used to be strewn with garbage all around, has been converted into a vibrant community zone with a cricket and football playing arena along with zones for zumba, skating and a pet park.Mahindra mentioned that this was not the first example of such urban ingenuity in the country. “Indore pioneered the concept in 2021 by transforming the space beneath the Pipliyahana flyover into an exclusive sports complex. Since then, cities like Surat, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Vadodara have followed suit. In 2023, I had posted about a similar transformation in Navi Mumbai, hoping it would spark a nationwide trend,” read his post. Mahindra further posted, “While many states, Odisha being a prime example, are building world-class centralised hubs, the real shift happens in the neighbourhood. By dispersing sports access into everyday urban spaces, we do more than build courts; we nurture a sporting mindset and culture from the ground up,” read his post on X.There are a few more places in the city where waste dumpyards have been converted into community zones. It was back in 2021 when a waste dumping ground in New Town was converted by the New Town Kolkata Development Authority into a mini garden with a walkway and benches for people to spend quality time. This was followed when, in 2022, a stretch below the Axis Mall flyover on the main arterial road in New Town was developed into a vibrant public hangout zone with colourful graffiti, sitting areas and a designated area for organising small social gatherings and a pop-up zone.
