Malabar Hill viewing gallery to reopen next week
It has been shut since March 2020 owing to the pandemic; the neighbouring Hanging Gardens and Kamala Nehru Park were thrown open to the public earlier
After two years of the Covid19 induced restrictions, the viewing gallery at Malabar Hill is all set to reopen for the public next week, said deputy hydraulic engineer Rajesh Tamhane. One of the most popular tourist spots in south Mumbai, also called as the Pramod Nawalkar Viewing Gallery, it offers a panoramic view of Chowpatty beach, Nariman Point and the Queen’s Necklace with its shimmering lights at night.
An iconic eatery, Cafe Naaz, operated in this place till 1998. After its lease ended, the BMC took back the space. The 5,000 sq ft gallery, a two-storey structure, was built here by the civic body’s
hydraulics department at a cost of Rs 10 crore. Located next to Kamala Nehru Park, the deck was inaugurated in
October 2018. It is large enough to accommodate 50 people at a time. It also has four big binoculars.
“After the lockdown ended, and all restrictions were relaxed, all public places such as beaches and gardens were reopened. However, tourists visiting the Hanging Gardens, Kamala Nehru Park are still not able to see the viewing gallery,” said Dilip Naik, ex-corporator, who wrote to Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal in this regard. Visitors, meanwhile, feel they are being denied the pleasure of spending weekends here.
“The viewing gallery was shut down as it needed to be sanitised regularly during the pandemic. This place is maintained by the BMC’s hydraulic department,” said Prashant Gaikwad, assistant municipal commissioner of D-Ward (Malabar Hill, Nepean Sea Road)