A jogging track that runs the length of the garden Running parallel to Mumbai’s eastern coast is Tata Gardens, a popular jogging park for residents of the upmarket Breach Candy district. Spanning a little over an acre, it is hardly one of Mumbai’s biggest parks, but given that a jogging track occupies most of its rectangular perimeter, it is an ideal spot for locals to get their daily cardio, protected somewhat from the heat by the gentle ocean breeze.
Although signs prohibit smoking at the park, it’s not uncommon to see youngsters taking a few puffs in one of its more discreet nooks Tata Gardens is also a focal point of the Coastal Road project. A 10.5 km portion of the coastal road, from Princess Street Flyover to the Worli end of the Bandra-Worli sea link, will pass through the gardens, along with Priyadarshini Park and Haji Ali. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will connect the coastal road with the existing internal road through Tata Gardens.
A flowery walkway However, like with Priyadarshini Park, the impact of the mega coastal road on Tata Gardens has been a cause for concern. Of the 600 or so trees that will be felled or transplanted during the construction of the road, as many as 61 will be from Tata Gardens.
A play area for children Local residents filed a PIL against the felling of trees and the Bombay High Court issued a temporary stay order, only to vacate it later because the petitioners were unable to cough up 0.5 per cent of the project cost, which amounts to Rs 60 crore, under rule 7A of the PIL. Subsequently, environmentalists held a grieving session at the park to mourn the loss of the trees.
An exercise spot that used to have views of the sea but now is overrun with construction The BMC, on its part, has said that the garden will be extended towards the sea. Using land reclaimed for the project, the municipal body has announced that it will allocate space for green cover on the reclaimed land.
The Coastal Road project has taken over much of the garden For now, however, the park is far more chaotic than ever. Giant barricades and clunky machinery tower over it and the sound of drills drowns out the peaceful hum of the sea.
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