Monday, May 21, 2012

Reviving cement-encased Bandra Talao a challenge - Times of India - 21/5/12

Reviving cement-encased Bandra Talao a challenge
, TNN | May 21, 2012,



MUMBAI: There was a time when Bandra Talao was known as the pink pond. The surface, say oldtimers , was covered with lotuses and the pond was believed to be powered by seven underground springs. Today, it is more reminiscent of a large sewage tank with a thick film of dirt. After the BMC's periodic bouts to redevelop the talao by laying peripheral walkways, cleaning the water (after residents complained of the stink) and temporarily introducing boating, it began turning into a pool for washing clothes and utensils and dumpingdrain water and waste. 

Architect P K Das says the talao currently lacks public interaction, is secluded from its surroundings and is heavily polluted. His solutions for the lake include constructing walkways and retiling the existing paving, encouraging public interaction by creating boardwalks, creating a small jetty for boating and, most importantly, having aeration through multiple fountains. 

Shaina NC, a trustee of NGO I Love Mumbai, says the talao should be an interactive public space that provides relief from concretization, hosts art camps and provides a space for senior citizens. 

Gauri Gurav, a member of the project team for World Wide Fund for Nature, which studied Mumbai's lakes, says a lot of work should be done before beautification starts. She says Bandra Talao is one of the most polluted lakes in the city. "It is cemented on every side, has heavily deteriorated because of waste dumping and needs detailed cleaning," she says. 

Sherley Singh, residentactivist who contested the municipal elections, says Bandra Talao was a landmark years ago. "There were only two places to hang out at, Carter Road or Bandra Talao-the latter is no longer an option," she says. Singh says beautification should be a "by-the-way thing" . "The priority should be to restore the lake and develop it into a recreational space."

Article link
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Reviving-cement-encased-Bandra-Talao-a-challenge/articleshow/13331291.cms 

Friday, May 18, 2012

Memories

                                           Sherley Singh with Shabana Azmi And Raju Singh.

                                                           Raju Singh playing pool.


                                                         Hariharan in Joshua Studio.



                                                









                                                Rakesh Roshan in Joshua Studio