Mumbai's first garden under Matunga flyover is locked in Sena-Congress war

In a city choking with traffic and pollution people rejoiced when they heard Mumbai was going to get its very first garden under a flyover in Matunga However citizens who were hoping to enjoy this novel park this summer were in for disappointment as the project remains stuck in political warfare Even though the park is ready to be launched the Shiv Sena and Congress are bickering over who will get to inaugurate it and take all the creditAlso read Mumbai CongSena clash over garden leaves development in limboThe garden is nearly ready and both the Sena and Congress said they intend to launch it by next week PicPradeep Dhivarmidday had reported on May 10 last year that a 700metrelong garden with jogging track was going to be built under the Tulpule flyover on Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road between the Kingrsquos Circle and Ruia College traffic signals Work had stalled in the past 34 months and tiles heaps of mud and plants were scattered there However the garden is finally complete and ready to be launched mdash all that remains to be done is connecting the lights and other electrical fixturesBut now the park is locked in a battle between Sena and Congress as both intend to claim credit for its completion The issue began a few days ago when the BMC house leader Trushna Vishwasrao Sena visited the park to check on its progress She told midday that she had been asked to do so by MP Rahul Shewale who was chairman of the standing committee when the project proposal was passed in 201314BackandforthHowever this visit was not appreciated by the local Congress corporator Nayna Seth who saw it as an attempt by Sena to hijack the project and steal all the creditldquoI have been following the development of this garden since 2012 What Trushna did was wrong she had no business inspecting the gardenrdquo she told middayUnder disputeTrushna admitted that the two of them had spoken about this dispute and added ldquoI went there after a request made by MP Shewale Besides I am the leader of the house Earlier they had named the flyover without even letting the Mayor know about it This time we will ensure that the Mayor inaugurates the park We will print proper invitation cards and Nayna Seth will be welcome We are looking at inaugurating it by the first week of JunerdquoOn the other hand Nayna said that she would be the one to inaugurate the park She added that she will also invite the Mayor but only to watch ldquoIt is the local corporator who has the right to inaugurate projects and I shall do that by the first week of June and then hand it over to the BMC for which I will also invite the Mayor The Shiv Sena should not hijack the project or we will protestrdquo she saidAs the two corporators row over the garden locals complain that the Rs 5crore garden was supposed to open for children during the summer vacation which is now almost over Moreover they have pointed out a couple of flaws with the gardenrsquos design as wellJogging track The jogging track in the garden was designed with a meandering path to make it look like the Narmada riverLocals said that this winding path will make it difficult for joggers They also pointed out that the track was at a lower level than the surrounding flowerbeds so every time the plants are watered soil and water will trickle onto the pathldquoThe track should have been on higher ground The water could make the tiles slippery and people might fallrdquo said a local residentTrushna passed on these complaints to the contractor as well as localsrsquo demand for an additional gate to be installed at the gardenLocal residents pointed out that the garden currently has two gates mdash on either side so people can cross to the other side of the flyover mdash but these are not enough for a garden of this sizeldquoI have also asked the contractor to finish off the pending electrical work so that the garden can be opened soonrdquo said Trushna