250 gardens to have two guards each for securing them from miscreants

Malad, Goregaon, Kandivli and Dahisar collectively have 211 gardens and playgrounds, the highest in the city.

MUMBAI : In an attempt to save civic gardens across the city from encroachment and keep miscreants at bay, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has ensured that around 250 gardens across the city will get two security guards. Most gardens currently have only one security guard. Some do not have a guard.

The changes will be enforced as part of the BMC’S new two-year maintenance contract. The total maintenance cost of all gardens is around ₹80 crore.

The conditions of the contract mandates the bidder to have agerestrictions, physical fitness and minimum wages while appointing guards. A senior civic official said, “Earlier, we did not have any such requirements for hiring

security guards in our gardens. This year, we decided to go according to the Security Guard Board’s norms. We had several complaints from various localities about anti-social elements thriving in our gardens.”

Kishor Kshirsagar, deputy municipal commissioner, said, “Each ward will have one contractor looking after the maintenance of the gardens.”

Welcoming the move, Nikhil Desai, Matunga resident and a member of F-north ward citizens forum, said, “This decision is a huge relief for residents that are troubled by drug-addicts and other anti-social elements that have ruined the gardens.”