Hanging Gardens, Kamala Nehru Park to get a long overdue makeover

Mumbai: Sir Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens, popularly known as the Hanging Gardens of Mumbai, and Kamala Nehru Park - two of the most popular tourist destinations in the posh Malabar Hill neighbourhood are in for a major makeover.

In a bid to attract more tourists, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will develop new facilities such as a jogging track, and a glass bridge and also increase the tree cover in both the parks, which have a combined area of approximately 35,000 square metres.

The two gardens have plenty of greenery, ornamental trees, flowering trees, gazebos, tourist seating, selfie points, and colourful entrances to add to the beauty of the gardens. These features attract the attention of tourists who frequent the gardens quite often.

Apart from this, there are garden pathways, food-drinking water zones for tourists, sports equipment, an echo point, a fish pond, a lotus pond, a summer house, a gazebo, acupressure wall facilities. Also, there is an area of ​​about 15,000 square metres covered with stray plants. There are 18,000 deciduous trees in the garden. A 10 feet high conch shell has been erected in Kamla Nehru Park with the Il Woman’s Shoe for tourists to take selfies.

The jogging track cover in Sir Pherozeshah Udyan will soon be made new by investing a lot of money, according to BMC.

The civic officials also received complaints from senior citizens to keep the dusty jogging tracks clean. Therefore, the track will be sprinkled with water and levelled so that they find it easier to walk.

For several years, trees in the garden have been deprived of good manure. The BMC official added, 6 tenders have been invited where every tree in both the gardens will get manure. In 15 days we expect the rains, but this manure given before rains to even small plants and this inturn will increase the greenery for a long time due to increase in footfall of tourists.

Currently, there is a bridge that connects the two gardens which will be converted into a glass bridge to give tourists a pristine view of the lush green gardens, said a BMC official.

The official also added, due to the new work, the jogging track will be paved. The trees growing in the lawn will remain green by adding red soil. The life span of the trees will increase because of the red soil and the trees will always be in bloom.