Mumbai, May 28 -- Every time Siddharth Mhatre and Rahul Ramugade, two friends and cricket aficionados, went to the Wankhede Stadium to catch a game of cricket, they felt the urge to spend some time on Marine Drive, watching the sun go down in the Arabian Sea. However, they were restricted simply because they were in a wheelchair. "The last time we were there, around two weeks ago, we decided to try and join the crowds at Marine Drive," said Ramugade, who is the captain of the Mumbai wheelchair cricket team. "Siddharth helped me, and I was able to get on the promenade. But there was no way for him to get on, as his electric wheelchair is far heavier than my manual one. That cut our evening short, leaving a sour taste in our mouths." Still stinging, Mhatre, who has been working in the accessibility space for a while, decided to reach out to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to ask for a simple ramp to the Marine Drive promenade. Through his contacts, he got in touch with officials from the BMC's A ward and kept following up. To his delight, the BMC finally reciprocated. "Last week, they installed a ramp onto one part of Marine Drive near the Wankhede stadium," said a beaming Mhatre. "When we requested, the BMC also painted a sign for wheelchairs on the ramp. Now, we will be able to go onto the Marine Drive after the matches." An official from the A ward confirmed the update, adding that the civic body will install more ramps along the promenade. And so, in 2025, one of the top tourist attractions in India's financial capital will finally be wheelchair-accessible. For Mhatre, this is the culmination of at least a three-year effort to make India's richest civic body sensitive to the needs of the differently abled. "Back in 2022, I had started working on getting the BMC to make parts of the city accessible for the differently-abled, including those with wheelchairs, senior citizens and the visually impaired. Ramps are a great aid for us," he said. "First, I worked in my residence, Dadar Parsi Colony, which had some successes. After a short stint in Bengaluru, I've been back in Mumbai and, now, I am tackling iconic spots in the city, starting with Shivaji Park, where the bollards were blocking our entry. They were restructured to allow entry. And now, Marine Drive," he added. However, the fight is not over for Mhatre and Ramugade. The reason they had gone to the Wankhede Stadium two weeks ago was to meet the Mumbai Cricket Association to discuss making the venue accessible for wheelchair users. "Even though we get tickets for the VIP box, we still need to take someone who is able-bodied with us to push us up the few stairs before the box," said Mhatre, who is an HR professional. "The Vijay Merchant stand has space for wheelchairs, but the view to the match is blocked from there due to the boundary. We are trying to get them to improve it so that Ramugade can get his cricket team to watch the matches, and their response has been favourable. We are also in talks with the BMC to have Dadar beach become accessible, but that will happen after the monsoon," he added....