MUMBAI: Just days before a critical district sports competition, the playground of MPS Sakharam Tare Marg Municipal School in Dahisar has been dug up to construct an artificial Ganesh visarjan tank, leaving student-athletes without a place to train.The timing could not be worse for the school’s 2,500 students. The upcoming event serves as a gateway for young sports talent, offering long-term opportunities for scholarships, sponsorships and academic incentives. Making matters worse, the 9,000 sq ft ground — nestled between two school buildings — was already constrained, with 30% of the area occupied by construction debris from ongoing work on one of the buildings.The Mumbai Suburban District sports competition features over 70 disciplines, including football, cricket, basketball, lawn tennis and boxing. “The competition is vital for students. Qualifying earns extra marks in board exams, helping them devote more time to sports,” said Darshana Raut, the school’s physical training teacher. “The pond was excavated without consulting the school. A similar setup last year took BMC a month to clear, leaving behind a mosquito-infested hazard.”School administrative officer Asmita Kosle said complaints have been lodged. “There is definitely a safety risk to the children.”Responding to the backlash, R-North ward officer Rohit Trivedi defended the site selection while promising swift action. “This particular site was chosen because it was on a list of approved sites from last year,” he said. “For students’ practice, we will make sure they are assigned a place in a nearby ground, and within three days from the last day of Ganesh Utsav, we will completely clear the ground.”Deputy municipal commissioner (education) Prachi Jambhekar said, “I have instructed that the area has a 24-hour guard and is isolated from the students.”
