Mumbai: City's first mangrove park may finally open before Diwali in Gorai

Visitors will be able to walk along an elevated boardwalk amidst the mangroves. File Pics/Satej Shinde

The Rs 33.43 crore much-awaited Bharatratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Mangrove Park, also known as Gorai Mangrove Park, which has been awaiting inauguration for over six months, may finally open to the public in the next 10 to 15 days, provided all goes according to plan. A senior forest department official told mid-day that the opening is likely within this period. mid-day has repeatedly highlighted the delay. Once opened, visitors will be able to walk along an elevated boardwalk through the mangrove ecosystem and learn more about coastal biodiversity.

Park inspected

Sources from the forest department said that Mangrove Cell head NR Praveen visited the park recently to inspect the condition. It is also said that the authorities want to open the park before Diwali so that schoolkids can visit the park with their families during the vacation. "The Gorai Mangrove Park will be inaugurated at the earliest," BJP MLA Sanjay Upadhyay said.

There is also a bird observatory for coastal and mangrove species

Administrative delays

The October 14, mid-day (Mumbai's first mangrove park in Gorai remains shut months after work completion) highlighted how more than six months after the work on the park, Mumbai's first such open space, was said to be completed, the facility is yet to be opened. The inauguration was delayed due to administrative reasons. In March, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray had written to Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik, urging him to inaugurate the park at the earliest.

Mangrove park features

>> 8-hectare park in Gorai, Mumbai
>> 740-metre boardwalk built without cutting mangroves
>> Guided mangrove trails with trained naturalists
>> Bird observatory for coastal and mangrove species
>> Touch-based VR system on mangrove flora and fauna
>> Approved eco-tourism project by state Eco-Tourism Board
>> Aims to create awareness about mangrove biodiversity and conservation
>> Estimated project cost: Rs 33.43 crore