Soon, gardens under 23 flyovers

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to develop gardens under 23 flyovers and set up eight more vertical gardens. These six extra acres of open spaces will come up near flyovers at Byculla, Parel, Elphinstone, Worli, Bandra, Andheri, Jogeshwari, Vikhroli, Goregaon, Kurla and Chembur.

In May, the BMC turned five pillars of a skywalk in Goregaon West into vertical gardens, at a cost of ₹15 lakh.

Jitendra Pardeshi, BMC’S garden superintendent, said, “We have plans to create pathways under the bridges to display art. This will be done under our ₹14crore ‘gardens-under-flyover’ project”. Eight flyovers at Dahisar, Goregaon and Byculla will have vertical gardens, whereas the remaining spaces under the flyovers will have jogging tracks and pathways, seating arrangements similar to the open space under Matunga’s Tulpule flyover.

Experts, however, said that vertical gardens are not a solution. Pankaj Joshi,director, Urban Design Research Institute, said, “Its environmental implications, compared to planting more trees, are not the same. It is a good concept, but nothing more than a gimmick or a visual relief.”

Activists on the other hand raised concerns over the maintenance of these open spaces once they are constructed. The civic body will soon float tenders for the projects. The beautification work will be completed in three to six months after a work order is issued.

IN MAY, THE BMC TURNED FIVE PILLARS OF A SKYWALK IN GOREGAON WEST INTO VERTICAL GARDENS, AT A COST OF ₹15 LAKH