Mumbai has been undergoing a lot of infrastructural changes. With the Mumbai Coastal Road Project, the new Metro lines, and more, the physiognomy of the city has undergone severe change. Whether it is for worse or for better is up to debate. Many beloved sites in the city have had to be sacrificed or compromised to make way for these infrastructural changes. The latest, it seems, is going to be Mumbai’s iconic Hanging Gardens in Malabar Hills.
Mumbai’s Hanging Gardens To Be Razed And Rebuilt Over 7 Years
Hanging Gardens, which has been a beloved recreational site for more than 136 years, is now going to be the next loss in the rampant redevelopment that the city is witnessing. According to an article recently published in The Times Of India, the entire stretch of the garden will be razed.
This will be done to restore a massive colonial-era reservoir located below the gardens. Since the gardens and the water tank are located at one of the highest points of the city, the tank will be used to pump water to some of the poshest areas in Mumbai so that they remain unaffected by water cuts.
As per officials cited in the TOI article, it will take around seven years and will warrant the destruction of the Hanging Gardens as we know it. Residents have protested this move. The entire plan will cost ₹698 crores. This plan will also mean that of the 389 trees in the garden, 200 will be transplanted and 189 will be cut.
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What This Garden Means To Me Personally
As a person who was born and brought up in the city, the Hanging Gardens have been more than a recreational space. It was always a place where memories were made and serenity was found when the hustle and bustle of the city of dreams got too loud.
Even today, my mother dons her burqa and her tiny Quechua backpack as she marches toward the gardens every morning. The wires of her old headphones dangle out of her backpack and make their way into her hijab as she nods along to her favourite old songs while walking.
She tells tales of people like her who come to the park every day who, to her, are strangers yet not quite. The gardens offer quietude to many like my mother. It is this loss of quietude which will be deafeningly loud to many if this plan comes to pass.
Do you have any fond memories of the place? Let us know in the comments below!
Cover Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons