Road to "PO"gaon

Walkers Paradise

Well! Well!! Well!!! Pogaon (Don’t know what does “PO” means or where the name came from and in which language it is. Spoke to people around to get the meaning or the origination of the name, but was unsuccessful. We Indians are anyways infamous for getting a new name by sheer mispronunciation, be it places or even for human beings) is not any of the World Heritage site and nor is a place of religious or political significance either. It’s a hamlet on the outskirts of Bhiwandi (a suburb of Mumbai) on the old Mumbai-Agra National Highway (NH-3) which passes through the textile town. As can be seen from the Google image (marked in red) Pogaon is located at a distance of 1.3km off NH-3 (Kaka Metals Enterprises in on NH-3). This stretch is famous with the health conscious morning and evening walkers/runners of Bhiwandi. My first brush with this place was courtesy my father, (well before I entered my teens) when he was one of the regular walkers on this quaint road (well, that is a distant history now, not only for the time lapsed but my father also doesn’t go for a walk anymore).

The road to Pogaon (12 feet in width) is one of the typical approach roads to many villages of this country. Not paved well enough; isn’t very smooth (odd rough patches) but being on the outskirts of a town with a population of 1.5 million, it’s still much better than the approach roads to scores of other villages. But what makes this road with ample twists and turns distinctive is that it’s covered with lush green bushes, numerous chirping birds from their nests above the trees, sounds of insects, a faint sound of heavy vehicles plying on the national highway, small rice fields on one side, and a huge open ground (running into few thousand hectares on the other) only to end with a mountain in the distant background. The odd small pond attracts a few villagers to fishing and the cattle owned by villagers (for milk and tilling the fields) for drinking water. Surprisingly, the fresh air takes away the stench from the cattle droppings (which at times lace a few patches of the road) and brings that rustic feel to the place.

Being away from the hustle bustle of the town and onto a sparsely populated area, the pollution levels (of all kinds) are much lower than most of the places in Bhiwandi. Also, as the road has a virtual dead end, the vehicular traffic movement is negligible (there are more vehicles of walkers in the morning then all put together during the remaining part of the day). Further, the greenery and open spaces make the environment fresh and lively. The mercury drops a few notches (approximately 3-5 degrees below city average) in the winter. The wind becomes very chilly at dawn and it’s a lovely feeling to take a walk amidst the chill and quite environment with golden strings of sun glittering on you. Life literally comes to a standstill.

Over the years, the regular walkers, in a bid to lengthen their route (to avoid multiple round trips on the 1.3km stretch) have started taking a turn to the left (250-300 meters before the village approaches as can be seen in the picture above) on to a even narrower stretch which is of approximately one km, ending with the water pipeline (suppling water to Mumbai city from Middle Vaitarna Dam in Thane District). Some more enthusiastic ones have managed to make a pass under the pipeline (the pipeline is at a considerable height, approximately 5-6 feet from the ground, making it convenient to pass by) to come to a broad road to continue their walk.

With the rapid and unplanned urbanization, the textile town is witnessing a complete

One of the many upcoming industrial units

collapse of the infrastructure and the pollution levels are rising exorbitantly. The only available open space on this side of the town starts only from Pogaon and not surprisingly, this is also being converted into a concrete jungle. The back end of some of the industrial units (logistic parks, textile manufacturing units among others) has reached adjacent to this beautiful road. Though there is still no impact on traffic movement on this stretch. Also, there are houses and bungalows being built along the narrow alley, which shall not only change the landscape but also add to the traffic woes and hinter the normal workout routine. Last heard, there was also a proposal to construct a school by one of the leading school chains of Mumbai on this vast open land (though I don’t know how true this is).

If the administration (Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation) doesn’t take heed of this rapid urbanization, this beautiful stretch and its surroundings will be lost forever. Remember, it’s not just another road leading to a hamlet, it’s an important part of the daily health routine of the citizens of this town (people come from far off places to walk here in spite of options available closer to their residence). The administration must preserve and nurture it as an open fitness facility, just like the parks and health clubs it’s making for people of its town.