To be executed by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), the project is actually the first phase of a programme to restore Mumbai's various waterfronts, including Dadar and Walkeshwar. Now, with Rs 40 lakh -- of the total Rs 70 lakh envisaged - coming from Shabana Azmi's MP fund, architects and planners are rolling up their sleeves in anticipation of jazzing up Juhu beach.

Explains INTACH convenor, Tasneem Mehta: ``It was an ambitious plan which went through a rough patch because of lack of funding. Corporate financing was promised, but people backed out at the last minute.'' While fundswere generated for the research work, money for the actual restoration wasn't available. The project's architect, P K Das, says: ``Now that we have got a bulk amount, we shall once again initiate our fund-raising schemes to collect the rest of the money.'' An estimate Rs 70 lakh is required for the project.

INTACH says the central objective is to ``progressively restore and preserve the natural beauty of waterfronts, working within existing realities, solving key problems through simple design solutions''. No major construction work will be undertaken. The emphasis will be on reducing traffic congestion in the vicinity of the main chowpatty, generating more parking space, creating new pedestrian crossings, information booths, developing a better garbage disposal system and building public conveniences.

``The project will work around the existing infrastructure,'' Das explains. ``The emphasis will be on making the chowpatty area more organised and providing street furniture like benches, streetlights andbus stands.''

While Das and his team give the master plan its final touches, a two-month stand-off between the stall-owners and beach cleaners, George Enterprises, has resulted in a stretch being almost permanently littered with garbage. With both parties staying off this no-man's land, the remains of a fun-filled evening at chowpatty lie scattered in the sand.

Says George Gopali of George Enterprises: ``We used to regularly clean up the beach. But even as we cleaned, the stall owners would litter. All I asked them to do is buy dustbins and empty their garbage into our truck which would station itself right near their stalls twice a day. They are not willing to spend that little money and effort. Hence, my boys have stopped cleaning the area right outside the stalls.''

Daniel has a heap of coconut shells near his stall. ``The beach boys will clean it up,'' he remarks, shrugging at the plastic bags and bhel puri remains scattered all around. ``The sea brings in all this muck. I collect mine in aheap here.''

A few stalls down the line, a group of sev puri vendors explain that it is the customer who messes up the place. ``We can't keep an eye on all of them'' is their collective refrain. Now, everyone is banking on the restoration programme, which promises a clean and organised beach in -- hold your breath -- six months.

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