Mumbai News: Campaign Launched To Make Parks Accessible From Early Morning To Late Night

Should Mumbai open up its parks and open spaces to citizens for longer durations? Bombay Greenways, a not-for-profit involved in urban design, and Love Your Parks Mumbai, a group campaigning to improve citizens' access to public spaces, have launched a petition to extend access to the city's parks for longer hours. 

Mumbai’s Limited Open Space

The groups say that inconsistent and random rules about access to parks are stealing Mumbaikars' precious public space. The group wants citizens to sign the petition so that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation can create safe, accessible, and clean parks open from early morning till late in the evening.

Bandra resident Anca Abraham of Love Your Parks Mumbai, who devised the campaign, said Mumbai has a paltry 1.2 square metres of open space per inhabitant, compared to cities such as Singapore, where an average resident has 39 square metres of leisure space. "Despite this, neighbourhood parks are shut down at random times. Gardens are poorly maintained and, strangely, have locked gates," said Abraham, who said that the city needs homogeneous rules about the hours that parks are open to the public.

Abraham said that after long talks with the BMC, citizens' groups managed to get a directive in 2019 to keep parks open between 6 am and 10 pm. "But the situation on the ground is different. After covid restrictions were imposed, the directive was reissued in 2021. However, many parks are shut in the afternoon. Some public gardens are charging fees for entry," said Abraham, who cited the example of Joggers Park in Bandra that shuts its gates after a few hours in the morning, and D'Monte Park that is closed when it rains. 

Contrasting Views from Residents’ Groups

Other citizen groups have contrarian views about unrestricted timings at public parks. Laura D'Souza, president of the Cuffe Parade Residents Association, which maintains CPRA Green, a municipal garden, and Bayview Marina, a park built on government land, said that the spaces are open between 5 am and noon and open again at 4 pm to close at 10 pm. "It is ridiculous to keep parks open throughout the day. When do you clean the place? After 10.00 pm? The staff needs a break. We spend on security and electricity. Sometimes we are lenient about the timings, but can you allow people to sleep there?" asked D'Souza.

Subhash Motwani, president of Clean Heritage Colaba Residents Association, agreed with D'Souza. "Parks should be open in the mornings and late evenings. Restricted timings help, and people know it is for a reason. And anyway, Mumbai's weather does not suit visits to a garden in the afternoon," said Motwani.

Alan Abraham, architect and co-founder of Bombay Greenways, said that the views about restricting people from sleeping in parks or using the space in the afternoon are an imposition of exclusivity. "If people sleep in parks, that is because of homelessness. It is a different problem. Labelling park users as vagabonds is absolutely stupid. There should be one set of park rules. Every park should have the same standards. Any park anywhere in the city should be available to everyone," said Abraham.

The campaign 

Keep parks open from 5 am to 11 pm

No midday closures and no arbitrary restrictions.

Application of uniform hours for parks across the city.

Clear signage that mentions complaint channels.

Ensure inclusivity by removing unnecessary, outdated restrictions like 'keep off the grass' or 'no park access when it rains'.

Add ramps, pathways, and amenities for the elderly and the differently-abled.

Allow designated hours and areas for pets and cycles.

Provide clean, well-maintained toilets and basic facilities like drinking water