Jamboree Maidan in Mumbai’s Worli area. Express Mumbai’s iconic Mahatma Gandhi Maidan in Worli, popularly known as Jamboree Maidan, has been transformed with upgraded sports facilities, including space for traditional sports such as Mallakhamba and kabaddi along with a jogging track, skating rinks, wooden gym equipment, and a new rainwater harvesting system.
Spread across 1.5 lakh square feet, the ground is popular among senior citizens and kids alike.
Historically, the ground has also been the venue of the Dahi handi festival. The Rs 2.5-crore upgradation, facilitated from local MLA fund from Cabinet Minister Aaditya Thackeray and MLC fund from Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, the ground now includes a separate sports stadium of 15,000-sq ft.
A court to play kabaddi, badminton, a football field, jogging track, separate skating rink for children, sidewalk, open gymnasium with wooden equipment, reclining benches, eco-friendly LED lights, attractive number games created using LED lights have been installed. During the upgrade, BMC found an underground 1.5 lakh-litre capacity British-era water tank. While the record of the underground water tank was not found in any official document, it will now be used for rainwater harvesting, stated the civic body.
Improvement work on the 1.45 lakh square feet ground is underway. It includes the installation of 14 sprinklers to water the ground at set intervals for dust mitigation. “Perforated pipes have been especially installed 1 to 1.5 feet below the entire ground. Due to the overlap on these pipes, only water will enter the porous pipe. The rainwater that seeps into the ground will then be stored in a British-era water storage tank through a 6-inch pipe. The same water will be used for sprinklers,” said a BMC official.
Taking inspiration from Worli’s Abhyas galli, where students from the nearby areas study under halogen lights along the street that runs opposite to the ground, BMC has also set up an open library with a viewing deck. Illustrations have been painted on various pillars near the entrance.
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