Mumbai: Cleanup Efforts Follow T20 World Cup Victory Parade
A massive crowd gathered at Mumbai’s iconic Marine Drive promenade to celebrate the Indian team’s T20 World Cup victory. The enthusiastic supporters left behind substantial amounts of litter, including water bottles and footwear, which the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) later collected in seven vehicles.
The BMC initiated a thorough cleanliness drive throughout the night of Thursday and into Friday morning, immediately following the victory parade. Thousands of fans had congregated at Marine Drive in South Mumbai to witness the celebratory procession on Thursday evening.
The open-top bus parade commenced from the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Nariman Point around 7:30 PM and proceeded to Wankhede Stadium. Although the journey typically takes five minutes, the parade took over an hour and a half due to the large crowd.
The vast gathering left behind piles of trash, including footwear and water bottles, scattered along the route. According to a BMC release, in addition to numerous food wrappers and water bottles, a significant quantity of shoes and slippers were collected during the cleanup operation.
The collected items included enough footwear to fill five jeeps, while two dump trucks were utilized to remove the remaining garbage. Rather than sending this waste to a landfill, the BMC plans to send all collected items to recycling plants.
The cleanup operation began at 11:30 PM on Thursday and concluded at 8 AM on Friday, involving 100 staff members from the civic solid waste management department and workers from various NGOs. As a result, a pristine Marine Drive promenade was restored for the many individuals who use the area for morning walks and exercise.
During the victory parade, the police deployed numerous personnel and implemented extensive security measures between Marine Drive and Wankhede Stadium to prevent any incidents. Despite the precautions, at least 11 individuals were transported to hospitals for minor injuries or dizziness due to the dense crowd along the parade route.
