Dadar residents oppose mesh cover at only playground

Residents of Dadar's Five Gardens in Mumbai are split over a proposal to cover a playground with a mesh. Concerns arose when a local noticed materials being unloaded for the project. Some residents, like Silloo Marker, are worried that the mesh may not hold up and could lead to further enclosure of the garden. Local MLA Kalidas Kolamkar stated that the mesh installation follows complaints from walkers about balls hitting pedestrians and vehicles. He acknowledged that some residents oppose the mesh, and he may reconsider the project once the assembly session ends. Activist Nikhil Desai, who visits the gardens often, expressed concern that the site looks like it will be turned into a cage. Former corporator Nehal Shah also opposes the mesh, claiming that Five Gardens has heritage status and needs approval from the heritage committee for any changes. Nitin Shukla, an assistant municipal commissioner, confirmed that Mhada has a conditional approval to proceed, but they must obtain the necessary heritage approvals. Some community members fear the mesh could be a step towards fully enclosing the garden with iron grills, which they strongly oppose. This playground is the only one among the five gardens, and its classification as a playground was changed over two decades ago. Resident Thrity Z Sethna voiced concerns about the potential enclosure, stating, "We don't want that net because it's clearly a back-door entry to making an enclosure at a later stage."