The CSR arm of RPG Enterprises had installed the sculpture as part of its Sundar Bharat campaign launched on the lines of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. (PTI Photo)
RPG Art Foundation today said it has removed an art installation on legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar from Marine Drive, in compliance with a notice sent by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The civic body on Monday sent a notice to the foundation asking it to remove the art work from the iconic sea-facing boulevard notified as a UNESCO world heritage precinct, after citizen and welfare groups raised objection to its installation.
The CSR arm of RPG Enterprises had installed the sculpture as part of its Sundar Bharat campaign launched on the lines of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
The creative work on the 43-year-old batting great was one among the many public art installations the foundation put up to beautify public spaces across Mumbai.
"We have removed the Sachin sculpture from the Marine Drive promenade as per BMC's request. We have also received a go-ahead to reinstall this sculpture at Carter Road promenade
subject to the Maritime Board's approval," said Sumeet Chaterjee, Senior Vice-President (Brands & Communication), RPG Enterprises.
Mr Chaterjee added, "We wish to place on record our appreciation for the BMC to beautify public spaces through art and thank the authorities for giving us alternate sites for the 'Sachin' installation as well as the 'Dabbavala', 'Tetrapod' and 'Rhino' installations."
The Marine Drive area in South Mumbai was notified as a UNESCO world heritage precinct by the state in May 2015.
After a few months of notification, the Nariman Point Churchgate Residents Association, in September 2015, wrote a letter to BMC's Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee and raised objection to any installation or construction on the promenade.
In the letter, the association argued that the promenade is meant for citizens to walk on and designed to get an unobstructed view of the Arabian Sea.