Another sports arena — second in the western suburbs and fifth in the city — is set to come up at Veera Desai road, in Andheri (west) by next year.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on January 10 passed the proposal to develop a plot reserved for a playground into a sports complex, which will be open to all citizens.

The BMC will start work on the 12.5-acre or 50,000 sq meters open space next month, said civic officials. The open space was recently cleared of encroachments after it was acquired from a private company last year.

According to the civic body’s plan, the new sports arena will have a football ground and a cricket pitch of international standards, two tennis courts, two basketball courts, jogging track around the space, children’s play area and seating arrangements among other facilities. All these aspects of the sports complex, along with public toilets, an entrance door, tree plantation and lamps, will cost the corporation more than Rs23 crores.

In order to make such facilities accessible to the common man, the BMC has also planned a bigger sports complex at Bhavdevi Garden in Dahisar, which will cost around Rs22 crores.

Deputy municipal commissioner Kishor Kshirsagar said, “The new sports complexes will be different from the existing Shahaji Raje Krida Sankul in Andheri. All citizens will be able to avail the facilities at a nominal or no fee.”

Local Shiv Sena leader, Horan Khan said that a boundary wall will be built around the space to keep out encroachers. “I have proposed a gym inside the complex. The inauguration of the project will be done in February,” he said.

Another official of the garden department said, although the contractor has 18 months to complete the construction work, it should be ready within a year.

 

Source: hindustantimes.com

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