mid-day garden audit: Times have changed, for BMC's gardens

Tukaram Omble Udyan, Andheri East

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has begun to put up banners displaying the new timings for public gardens, and changes are being made to boards across all gardens in the city.

Vilasrao Deshmukh park at Kandivli East

After its Garden Safety Audit Round Table conference, mid-day has consistently reported on the citizens' demand of allowing gardens to stay open for longer. It was following this that the BMC considered keeping gardens open 12 hours, and it was first reported in mid-day (on September 1), that the civic body had proposed keeping gardens open for 12 hours.

Babasaheb Ambedkar Udyan at Kandivli East

The BMC acted promptly and now all gardens will be kept open from 6am to 12pm and from 3pm to 9pm. The gardens used to be open for 7-8 hours, allowing limited access. A note issued by municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta said, "There are 750 gardens and all have different timings, because of which visitors cannot access these open spaces.

Pramod Navalkar Udyan at Kandivli West

This also leads to very limited use of such spaces. To give citizens the maximum benefit of open spaces, the gardens will be open 12 hours." The note added, "Three hours, between 12 pm and 3 pm, have been kept for maintenance work, as all civic gardens are kept open 365 days."

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