Mumbai: A tale of neglect at Juhu

There are visible cracks on the aeroplane exterior, especially on the cockpit area and near the wings

Lion's Garden opposite Santacruz police station, a landmark for its once-iconic aeroplane, today lies in a dilapidated condition and could be another tragedy waiting to happen. In March 2009, an eight-year-old boy died after one of the concrete sections of the Air India 707 replica plane collapsed, apparently owing to ill maintenance.

Subsequently, the 47-yer-old structure was demolished and a smaller version of a glider was rebuilt in June 2014. When mid-day visited the site on Monday, there were no staff at the main gate to check the temperature of the visitors, which was against Covid protocol.

The garden was crowded with senior citizens and parents with their young children, trying to make the most of the slides in the play area and the broken-down gym equipment, which was capable of doing more physical harm than good. A majority of the visitors were maskless.

There were visible cracks on the aeroplane exterior, especially on the cockpit area and near the wings. Inside the row of metallic passenger chairs were rusted and quite a few of them had actually corroded and broken. The interior walls were smeared with pan stains, making it anything but an enjoyable site. The tarmac, which was supposed to double up as a yoga area with a synthetic mat, was torn and had become uneven.

Many metallic chairs inside the plane have corroded

Simple Shah, a frequent visitor for her walks, said that it was high time the authorities took prompt action. "I am actually scared when small children in their excitement run in and out of the plane as the rusted chairs can cause serious injuries and am also apprehensive that the old tragedy does not reoccur. I have tripped and fallen on the dilapidated jogging track, which runs around the boundary line and had to seek medal help. I wish the Tatas also take over this poor man's plane, as not everyone is privileged to fly in an actual aircraft." Simple also pointed out to what appeared to be a forcefully damaged metallic outdoor climber for children.

Anita Salian, who was visiting the garden after a gap of 20 years, had brought along her eight-year-old daughter. She said that there were so many memories attached to the garden that it was heartbreaking to see it in a pitiable state. "My family had shifted from the area and have returned recently. I was keen that my daughter relives my childhood memories of the famous aeroplane, but was totally disappointed."

Similar sentiments were shared by Rehan Sheikh, who had brought his five-year-old daughter all the way from Worli. "I have visited the garden after nearly 20 years and feel sorry I dragged my family to witness such a disappointment," he said. Local corporator and ex-deputy mayor Alka Kelkar said that she was aware of the situation and assured that all the issues pertaining to the garden would be addressed soon. "It's just a matter of time that all cracks will be filled and the entire aeroplane will be renovated, along with the gym equipment and other outdoor facilities."

2009
Year a wing crashed killing an eight-yr-old