'SoBo is nervous, Bandra spoilsport, Lalbaug grateful, Oshiwara model'

Last Saturday the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC announced that it would keep 23 gardens in the city open through the day ie 24x7 The move came after Joint Commissioner Ashutosh Salil had held a meeting with NGOs and naturalists to discuss Garden Policy Most participants expressed the need for more hours for gardensThe BMC immediately took a decision on August 27 to revoke the threehour break which was from 12 pm to 3 pm to extend the operational hours of gardens in the city between 13 and 16 hours Since then most city gardens started staying open from 6 am to 10 pm without breakA round table conference midday held in July 2018 with resident associations BMC representatives and corporators set the wheel turning with then municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta extending timings for parks and current commissioner Praveen Pardeshi announcing the 247 policyLast week the BMC extended it to 24 hours for 23 gardens in the city We had noted suggestions and objections regarding our garden policy and said we would accommodate it The extension of timings could be implemented immediately said SalilWhile at some parks that midday visited last week in order to gauge reactions and security measures citizens had no idea that hours had been extended at others they werent too thrilled with the ideaIt was only Lalbaug residents who welcomed the decision to extend garden timings after 10 pm A positive result of the midday Garden Audit we launched in 2018 to survey the citys open spaces on safety and facilities was that we noticed that most gardens remain well maintainedExcept one each had adequate securityManoranjan Park Lalbuag Time of Visit 1110 pmAmid the densely populated area on the east side of Chinchpokli there is a small open space with adequate light poles a ground and a well maintained open gym The locals know it as the Bombay Gas company plotThe 4500 square metre area gives much needed space to everybodymdashchildren youngsters women and senior citizensmdashlivingin nearby buildings and chawls We went there around 1110 pmThe whole park can be seen at one glance from the gate One security guard was present near the gate and senior citizens women and college going boys were seated in different parts of the garden We have a group of 15 women who come here daily after dinnerThat is the only time we get to interact and it is the only space we have said Suhasini Salavi Sunanda Rokade and Lata Bhondve in pic said that the garden remains packed till midnight and often there isnt space available to sit They welcomed the decision of more opening hours but feel it will be misused by couples or alcoholics after midnightA group of college students expressed joy for the 24hour garden policy Though the official timings were up to 9 pm the garden used to stay open till midnight said Prakash Parab 65 Dattaram Apradh a senior citizen added that there isnt any security threat as we can watch the garden from our windows But we see only one guard round the clockThere was a demand to keep it open until midnight So now we are relieved by the decision There is one guard at every shift and we will hire one more said an officer from F south wardChatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Garden Chunabhatti near railway station Time of Visit 1215 amWith tall buildings on one side and a slum on the other the 2000sq m garden provides some relief to the area Though the garden is small in comparison to most it has a dense canopy of trees planted in rows However this means that the light from lamposts doesnt reach the ground There is also a small composting pit on the premises for processing garden waste such as tree branches and dry leavesAt the time of our visit very few people were on the road and two guys were closing their icecream cart near the gate There wasnt any sign of a security guard inside the garden The board inside the garden did not announce the new 24hour timingsThe garden is divided into two parts by a walkway and another entry gate at the opposite end The garden is adjacent to VN Purav Marg and locals use the walkway as a shortcut Bottles of alcohol and plastic glasses were seen scattered in the garden In one corner a few men were seated However when we tried to speak to them they slipped awayChandrakant Palav in pic a student of ayurveda at a Sion college who was going to the other side by taking a short cut of the garden There is no security guard in the garden but the residential colony next door has two guards one of whom sits just outside another gate of the garden which opens into the colony he said There are security guards appointed for the garden I will make an inquiry said Manish Valanju assistant commissioner of L wardTata Garden Breach Candy adjacent to Bhulabhai Desai Road Time of Visit 1015 pmThe garden hit headlines earlier this year with news that a large portion of the garden would be required for the interconnection of the coastal road raising hackles of local residents who opposed the plan Popular not just among Breach Candy residents but others from the city who come here on the weekends to enjoy its scenic beauty and the sea view it provides the garden covers an area of 8000 sq m We reached the garden at 1015 pm by when the usually crowded garden was nearly emptyThe garden had only one security guard posted at the gate As only one guard had been appointed the ward office instructed one out of four gardeners to work as a security guardThe lamp posts give adequate light for walkers but is insufficient to identify someone from a 10metre distance We met four regular visitorsmdashDr Hemen Shah Mukesh Shah Rajesh Dedia and Bhanubhai PatelPicsDatta KumbharThey werent aware of the new hours as there was no board of announcement at the gate The garden used to shut at 1015 pm Its good that they extend the time beyond 10 pmBut there isnt any need to stretch it beyond 11 pm said Rajesh Dedia Mumtaj Ansari yoga teacher who was meditating in one of the corners pointed out that the light poles werent operational in that cornerThe garden is secure But who will come here after 12 Certainly not women she said that CCTV cameras would help provide securityKamlakarpant Walawalkar Garden New Link Rd Oshiwara Time of Visit 130 pmIf you go to Walawalkar Garden you will notice a board outside announcing The park has been open 24x7 for citizens The park has been open round the clock since September 9 and the management has even hired an additional five guards to provide adequate security through the day in shiftsPicSatej ShindeCurrently we have 15 guards who are working in three shifts Per shift we have five guards stationed at the different corners of the park while one keeps an eye at the entrance said a guard We are getting many women post 9 pm after office hours so we are doing our best to provide adequate security he addedThe park also has an adequate number of lamp posts within a distance of 10 metres of each other which provide enough light at night Initially I thought they were wasting electricity but later I realised that it has been opened around the clock said Padamaja MehraGanjawala garden Borivli West Time of Visit 2 amThe garden is just five minutes by foot from Borivli station and is well maintained There wasnt any display of the new timings The main gate is on the footpath and the iron gate was shut but not locked As we entered the garden around 2 am a pack of dogs ran towards us barking and alerting the security guardThe garden has been open round the clock from Monday so we didnt lock the gate But no one comes at these hours said Rajkumar Gupta accompanied by another security guard Earlier there was only one security guard per shift but after the Monday move two guards have been deployed for the nightGupta added This is the only garden in all of Borivli that is open throughout the day Officers from the ward had come at midnight a day before the announcement to inspect the garden and instructed them to keep it open The garden is well maintained and used by hundreds of morning walkers joggers There are poles of light near the wall The shape of the garden is not even and so some parts in the middle dont get adequate lightThere havent been too many visitors as people are still not aware of the new timings and also the rains said Ramakant Biradar assistant commissioner of R central ward He added that they have informed the local police station about opening of the ground and requested them to take more rounds at nightLala Tulsiram Udyan Devidayal Road Opp BEST depot Mulund West Time of Visit 1230 pmTheres no board announcing new timings here but local residents read it in the papers and started coming in The park covers 6540 sq m and though the BMC has kept security guards round the clock when midday visited the site the guard was out 1230 ndash 3 pmHowever four workers from the Garden Maintenance Department were cleaning the area The park also had adequate number of lamp posts inside within a distance of 10 feet eachGarden maintainer Hari Janardan Pawar who works from 7 am to 6 pm said The elderly occupy the benches to read newspapers or meet up Earlier it used be shut till 5 pm but now as it is open all the time senior citizens come here to relax While the toilet is in a bad state the rest of the garden is in good conditionThe ground is level and one can even walk barefoot on the walkway which is cleaned regularly Pawar added We clean it at least thrice a day so nobody complains about stickiness and muddinessDagdu Kanskar 59 who came for a walk in the afternoon and later rested inside the shed when the rain started said This is my fourth day coming here at 3 pm We welcome this initiative 24x7 timings happily Some friends of mine will soon join meRao Saheb Patwardhan Garden Bandra West Opposite National College Time of Visit 1 amThis 18000sq m garden in Bandra is among the citys most well developed and wellmaintained open spaces The area has many food restaurants bars and lounge When the midday team reached the garden one could see the nightlife in the suburb was still buzzing But the main gate of the garden was closed There was no board announcing the new timingsTwo security guards were seated inside in front of the gate On enquiring one security guard Appasaheb Sardesai in pic left said though the BMC had decided to keep the garden open for 24 hours the decision had not been implemented The garden shuts after 10 pmResidents are opposing it citing issues of security and miscreants So the ward office decided to not open for 24 hours as of now said another guard After extending the hours in the afternoon the garden is being misused by the publicThe toilets are used by beggars and hawkers and they end up breaking the flush tank and dirtying the space said Sunil Khosla resident He added that the number of visitors increased after BMC started free entry and the toilets are not sufficientLocal corporator Swapna Mhatre said the locals opposed the move due to security concerns midday tried to contact ward officer Sharad Ughade but he didnt respondCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates