'Shoelaces, Broken Umbrellas And Water Bottles': Crazy Cricket Fans' Civic Sense Goes For A Toss At Marine Drive

Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar lauded all his officers and employees for their contributions in handling the crowd that came on the roads from Marine Drive to Wankhede Stadium to welcome the T20 World Cup 2024 champions Indian Cricket Team led by Mumbaikar Rohit Sharma on Thursday.

Mumbai (Maharashtra):Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar asserted that officers and employees have done a fantabulous job in keeping the over three lakhs crowd in control during the victory parade of the Indian Cricket team, but still few people have throwed shoelaces, broken umbrellas And water bottles near the Marine Drive on Thursday.

To celebrate the much-awaited T20 World Cup champions side's homecoming five days after the 2024 T20 World Cup final concluded, fans gathered at the Wankhede Stadium, Churchgate, Marine Drive and Nariman Point in Mumbai from Thursday (July 4).

Mumbai Police struggled a lot throughout the day to maintain the safety and control the crowd which was probably more than a lakh. To disperse the crowd in the evening, the police had to resort to a mild lathi-charge in the National Center for Performing Arts (NCPA) area. As per the reports, several crickets enthusiasts collapsed due to suffocation in the crowd during the roadshow and were taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

The administration had a preconceived idea that a large number of cricket fans would gather at the Marine Drive area for the victory parade. The traffic police released a media advisory about traffic management and alternative routes to keep a traffic check. The police announced that the crowd had been properly planned, but many threw their shoelaces, broken umbrellas and water bottles on the road in clean areas like Marine Drive. Due to this, many people are questioning the planning of the administration. Nine people were rushed to GT Hospital who were injured in the Toba stampede at Marine Drive. Most everyone was x-rayed. All patients are in stable condition. Eight of them were discharged home.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, Special Commissioner of Police Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Law and Order Satyanarayan Chaudhary led by Upper Commissioner of Police, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Assistant Commissioner, Senior Police Inspector, 300 police officers and a thousand police personnel were deployed at the venue for the grand event.

Joint Commissioner of Police, Law and Order Department of Mumbai Police Satyanarayan Chaudhary said that around five thousand police forces were deployed from the airport to Marine Drive. Lakhs of fans dressed in Indian cricket team jerseys thronged from Nariman Point to the Marine Lines area to witness the victory celebrations. It is estimated that more than four lakh cricket lovers have gathered here. The police had to resort to mild lathi-charge to bring the crowd under control.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar applauded the efforts taken by all the officers and employees to ensure the event will happen properly and without any issues. "Lots of fans were waiting with bated breath to welcome the champions. Today witnessed one-of-a-kind crowd management and traffic management. Satyanarayan, Anil and all the officials, and police personnel did a great job. Help to complete the task. Thanks to all police personnel for doing so," the Mumbai Police Commissioner wrote on his X handle.

At the end of the welcome, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) ran a special cleanliness campaign on Marine Drive. The area was completely clean for the Mumbaikars who regularly come for a morning walk in the Marine Drive.

On behalf of the solid waste management department of the municipal corporation, the municipal corporation has informed that additional waste has been collected by filling two big dumpers and five small jeeps in this cleanliness campaign. MCGM Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani had directed to carry out this special cleanliness drive in the Marine Drive to avoid inconvenience to the citizens.

Accordingly, the Solid Waste Management Department of MGMC conducted a cleanliness drive throughout the night. As soon as the crowd that had waited till late night to welcome the Indian cricket team thinned out, the cleanliness drive was immediately started. The entire area was cleaned under the supervision of Jaideep More, Assistant Commissioner of Division A.

A compactor and a dumper collected the waste by about 100 workers of the A Division's Solid Waste Management Department, with the help of NGOs. Along with that, five small jeeps were filled with waste collection. The proceedings started from around 11.30 pm and continued till 8 am.

Food wrappers, water bottles, bags, shoes, slippers and broken umbrellas among other items were also collected in large quantities. The municipal corporation has said that out of this collected waste, about 5 jeeps of collected shoes, slippers and other recyclable items will be given for recycling instead of being sent to the dumping yard.

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