Shortcut, a shame

"For the last time, the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) is arranging to get the pathway cleaned from all sides, but in future, please see to it that this disgusting practice of dumping trash is desisted from with immediate effect. If trash and garbage is seen to be dumped along this path you will leave the BPP with no choice but to close this shortcut pathway totally,” notes a circular dated January 12, 2016 from BPP chief executive officer Cawas Panthaki addressed to the residents of Godrej Baug.
The nearly 200 m undulating cemented pathway leading from the Doongerwadi car park starts behind the Hodiwalla Bungli and ends at the Mobed Building which lies on the periphery of the Godrej Baug/Doongerwadi property. Many residents of Godrej Baug, their daily help and contract laborers traverse this pathway for the convenience it offers to reach Kemps Corner (Ardeshir Godrej Chowk).

Litter thrown along path to Godrej Baug

"This is not a garbage dump. Please understand that this land is sacred to our community and any form of desecration… will not be tolerated,” states Panthaki, "anguished and distressed at the state of the shortcut pathway.” Despite the pathway cutting across forested area, many passersby conveniently use the grounds to dump plastic and glass bottles, plastic bags, food wrappers, soft drink cans and litter from homes.
For several years there used to be a large bin installed at the Doongerwadi end of the pathway that not only facilitated the residents of Godrej Baug but also the visitors to Doongerwadi and the drivers who park the cars whilst their employers are at prayer. The bin was subsequently removed. Prominent signage in three languages requested visitors not to spit and defile the property but these too are barely visible.
A communiqué dated January 16 from Nilufer Nasirabadwalla, honorary joint secretary of the Godrej Baug Residents Welfare Association (GBRWA), mentioned that the BPP circular "should put us all to shame…” especially since the GBRWA had been repeatedly reminding residents not to litter the pathway. "It is now our responsibility to ensure that: we keep the pathway clean of any garbage; we do not shut eyes to such acts and immediately report such resident or outsider; we strictly instruct our servants, contract labor, etc not to dirty the pathway.”