Beautiful Evening..

A walk with the family

The Pune Cantonment Board is going all out to promote its weekend walking plaza on Main Street as an entertainment zone. With puppet shows for children and the army band playing foot-tapping music, Main Street is fast turning into a regular weekend hang-out

Aditi Thirani M G Road

It’s a whole new experience walking along Main Street on weekends. On Saturday and Sunday evening the street takes on a decorative look, thanks to the efforts of the Pune Cantonment Board which is going all out to promote it as an entertainment zone for Puneites and visitors alike. From de-addiction programmes to puppet shows for children, the Cantonment Board is going all out to provide shoppers with the thrill of having fun while picking up a thing or two for family and friends.

In fact performances by the military band and the NDA received overwhelming response. Even the Air Force chipped in with a demonstration. Children too are kept enthralled by puppet shows and mimicary artists. However, one section of the Camp Merchants’ Association is not happy with the idea of turning the area into a walking plaza. A shopowner who prefers to remain anonymous says, "Business definitely gets affected. Serious shoppers who come for specific items and look at parking vehicles near shops, buying and moving out, find it difficult to come on weekends."

But others like Paresh Bhudani of Bhudani and Sons feels the city is getting used to the idea of Main Street being declared a walking plaza on weekends. "Mahatma Gandhi Road or Main Street as it is better known has been declared a walking plaza from February 2006 and people are getting used to it. For us though it doesn’t make much of a difference," he says. In fact some shopkeepers have even reported increased footfalls. People on their part though are happy with the idea of a walking plaza.

A survey conducted by the Cantonment Board revealed that 95 percent of its sample customers are keen on continuing with the walking plaza. According to Sachin Gaikwad, who enjoys window shopping with his friends on weekends, "I like to come here on Saturdays and Sundays because the whole area takes on a festive look with family’s eating, shopping or simply watching the various live performances. It not only helps us relax and unwind but also keeps us walking - giving us a forced exercise that we so badly need. Ashwini Jadhav, a resident of Shankar Sheth Road on her part says, "The atmosphere is pleasant here and I like coming with my family".

Kids are seen skating and playing while their parents are haggling in shops. "My children love it here. They can run and play without having to watch out for approaching vehicles." says Sarita Mundada. Of course there are days in the calendar when the walking plaza is shut down on weekends. This is done to allow processions and religious gatherings to pass through without clogging the city’s other artery roads.

Cantonment officials, by making regular announcements, make it a point to let shoppers know in advance about the events being held on weekends. Notices are also put up to keep people updated. All in all, the efforts of the Cantonment Board have given Puneites something to look forward to on weekends.