It was Independence with a difference as Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde opened the pathway adjoining her official residence near Byculla zoo for morning walkers from 6 am to 9 am. The move comes after the long-standing walking facility inside the zoo was discontinued, requiring animals to have a disturbance-free period before visitors arrive, according to Central Zoo Authority (CZA) guidelines.

Reports stated that after the CZA guidelines ended decades of morning walks at Byculla’s Veermata Jijabai Bhosale botanical garden and zoo, the mayor announced an alternative on Independence Day.