The celebration of India’s T20 World Cup victory at Marine Drive yesterday evening left Mumbai roads congested and the promenade covered in litter. Enthusiastic supporters gathered in large numbers to catch a glimpse of the Team India players during their brief victory parade to Wankhede Stadium.
Following the event, the cleanup proved to be a massive task. The Mumbai civic body deployed around 100 workers to clear the area, collecting discarded items such as food wrappers, water bottles, shoes, bags, and slippers. The effort, which took over eight hours, involved filling five small jeeps with the collected waste. Shoes and slippers were sent for recycling.
In addition to the cleanup, a ‘Clean Marine Drive’ event was organized for morning walkers to participate in maintaining the area’s cleanliness.
Team India, returning from the Caribbean, arrived in Mumbai after a brief stop in Delhi, five days post their thrilling win against South Africa. The victory parade, which began at Marine Drive and concluded at Nariman Point ahead of a felicitation ceremony at Wankhede Stadium, attracted a large crowd of supporters.
Managing the enormous turnout posed challenges for the police, who had to close all roads leading to the iconic sea face, causing traffic congestion on alternative routes. At least two supporters fainted due to the crowd density, with one video showing a police officer assisting an affected individual.