GREEN GAINS IN STORE FOR CITY
Citizens & Environmentalists Will Have Reason To Cheer If The BMC Comes Good On Plans To Develop 35 Theme Parks
Mumbai: Open spaces appear to be finally getting more importance in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations (BMC) agenda. A total of 36 open spaces have been identified across the city for development according to various themes.
After taking up the greening of areas around water reservoirs, the BMC is now focusing on regular open spaces in the city. In a city starved of open spaces0.03 acre per 1,000 people, as against the civic Development Control Rule norm of 4 acres per 1,000the BMC is now making some effort to maintain the existing gardens, playgrounds and recreation grounds.
The municipal corporation has identified 36 gardens, reserved open spaces and playgrounds across the city on which it is planning to introduce various themes to make the green areas more interesting. The BMC has appointed architects to draw up plans for the various gardens. The themes have to be approved by the municipal architect before they are sent to the BMC Standing Committee for approval.
Officials said it will take at least a year for some of the theme gardens to be ready. Activists are eager for the results.
Under the caretaker policy, the open spaces are given to organisations for maintenance; in exchange, a portion of the plot can be used for commercial gain. In adoption, no such gain is permitted.
The BMC has this year earmarked Rs 116 crore for the development and maintenance of open spaces across the city. Of this amount, Rs 45 crore is for the development of the Veer Jijamata Udyan at Byculla. Rs 61 crore will be used to develop the themed gardens. Another Rs 10 crore is for the development of open spaces by the city engineer, some of which are the themed gardens.
Meanwhile, in the case of the gardens around the water reservoirs, the contractors have been unable to begin work. The BMC has now issued show-cause notices to the contractors working on the Powai garden and the John Baptista Garden at Mazgaon. These were to be ready in two years, but now this seems unlikely.
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