Thane: Kalwa Residents and Athletes Rally to Save Kharland Playground from Unexpected Closure

Sports enthusiasts, fitness enthusiasts, and senior citizens have expressed disappointment as revenue officials from the Thane district administration recently closed the gate of the Kharland playground in Kalwa, citing an encroachment issue. The Aniruddha Cricket Academy, which has been maintaining the ground for the past 7 to 8 years, disputes this claim, stating that there is no encroachment on government land. They assert that they only installed a container changing room and a women's washroom, which were long requested from the district administration but not provided, prompting them to set up the facilities themselves. Notably, this playground hosts MCA and Ranji Trophy selections, and it has been instrumental in nurturing talent from the local community. For instance, nine boys from economically disadvantaged families in Kalwa were selected for the Bhaskar Trophy from this very ground. It served as a vital training hub, especially for players from Mumbra and Kalwa, who found it more accessible compared to traveling to distant locations like Thane’s Central Maidan or Dadoji Konddev stadium.More than 200 children from Thane, Kalwa, and Mumbra used the ground for practice. Kalwa residents say playgrounds in the area are being snatched away from them which is hampering the progress of budding talents. Parents are enraged due to the sudden action by the revenue officials. Deepak Dalvi, whose 11-year-old son Kanishq Dalvi comes at the ground for cricket practice told LokmatTimes.com, “There is no other cricket academy in Kalwa. It becomes difficult for us to travel to Thane due to traffic issue. Hence, we want back our Kharland playground. My son recently played Bhaskar Trophy in Mumbai. If there is no ground left, where will he practice for his future tournaments?”

Another parent Prasanna Vaidya whose son Swarup comes for coaching here says , “This ground means a lot to us. My son got a lot of exposure after coming here to practice. 2 students from the academy were selected for Mumbai Indians Junior. We will try to save the ground as our children should not feel demotivated.” Many senior citizens and women also come here for walking and jogging due to its environment- friendly atmosphere.

When LokmatTimes.com visited the Kharland Playground, many local residents were sceptical about the future of this playground. It is 2 acre ground maintained properly with green nets, a turf, cricket pitches and a container room that includes dressing room and a washroom. An artificial bamboo cricket turf was built last year so that during monsoons, students can do indoor practice sessions. The notice by Thane district Sports Officer to Annirudha Cricket Academy does not specify whether the artificial turf or container room classifies under encroachment.  Raju Shinde and Pooja Shinde from Aniruddha Cricket Academy says  a notice was served to them after the closure of the ground. “3 officers from Thane district administration came and ordered to evacuate the ground immediately. Our practice session was going on. We asked them what’s the problem but they were not ready to communicate with us anything and just locked the gates of the ground. They might be under some pressure to close the ground.” Coach Viresh Tawde told LokmatTimes.com, “Many female players come here for practice and cricket matches. They need basic facilities like washrooms and changing rooms. Hence we just set up a container room with those necessary facilities which can easily be shifted anywhere else. We intimated the district administration and irrigation department several times to build a separate toilet for women players but they didn’t listen to us. Hence in 2022, we set up these facilities on our own. How can it classify under illegal encroachment?”

Thane District Sports Officer Suvarna Bartakke who sent the encroachment told LokmatTimes.com, “It’s a government land. The cricket academy did not conveyed anything to the district administration or irrigation department. A committee will be constituted and further coarse of action will be taken by considering the benefit of sport players only.” The sports academy has been directed to remove the encroachment by March 22, 2024. 

Raju Shinde asserted that this playground was a barren pit just ten years ago. It was a dumping ground for all sorts of waste by the people of the area. “We spoke to the officials of the Irrigation Department and started filling up the pit. It was backbreaking work, but we filled it up. Then, we spread about 200 truckloads of red soil on it to make it safe for children to play on. Why didn’t the administration take objection 7 years ago when we did the work of leveling the ground? Why now? Timing of the action is questionable, told Shinde.