BMC gives green signal to vertical gardens on flyovers

The garden department, functioning under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has undertaken a vertical garden initiative. Under this project the department on an experimental basis is beautifying the pillars of three flyovers, namely Milan flyover of Santacruz, Nanalal Mehta flyover of Matunga and Bhandup Jogeshwari-Vikroli link road (JVLR) flyover.

A senior civic officer of the garden department stated that the vertical garden initiative has been added to the garden-under-flyover project. “The work order for all the three flyovers has been passed. But No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for Bhandup JVLR flyover is yet to be received.”

Sanvi Tandel, chairman of garden and market committee, remarked that the area beneath the flyover is being

The garden dept on an experimental basis is beautifying the pillars of three flyovers – Milan of Santacruz, Nanalal Mehta of Matunga and Bhandup Jogeshwari-Vikroli link.

encroached upon. Therefore, to keep encroachers away a project has been planned.

The civic officer of the BMC stated, “It is a pet project of the civic commissioner Ajoy Mehta. He himself has approved the vertical garden project of these three flyovers on an experimental basis. If everything goes as per plan all the flyover pillars of the city will have vertical gardens.”

As there are more chances of robbery after installing sheets on the pillars of the flyover for vertical garden, BMC is emphasising on installing cheap and durable sheets and Indian plants around the pillars, which could sustain for longer time.