Mumbai: Dead end of Little Gibbs Road transforms from unused to eye-pleasing

The nook, which used to see citizens throwing rubbish in it, has been transformed into a beautiful green space

The dead end of a road has come alive after an eye-catching transformation. A corner of Little Gibbs Road next to Malabar Hill Club and Acropolis building has gone from a useless dump to a pleasant, green nook. "The inauguration of the compact space took place recently, and now it is open as an aesthetic, green space for the public," said Malabar Hill residents and some members of the Little Gibbs Road 1, 2 and 3 Advance Locality Management (ALM).

The project, planned a few months ago, was brought to fruition by both the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the ALM.

The green patch, built at a slight elevation, is a break from the grey, concrete lanes. Locals said, "This was a derelict, unused space. A scrap collector used to operate from here, and at other times some debris used to lie around. The ALM along with BMC D ward took the initiative to change this space with some plants, grass and saplings. It shows that in Mumbai, where every inch is precious, even a little beautified corner like this makes the heart sing. It is a small but powerful testament to the spirit of collaboration between local leaders and residents," said Farida Agboatwala, Savita C and Sejal Ghia, who live in the area and were at the inauguration.

The refrain was that all credit must go to the BMC "which showed great enthusiasm for the initiative", said Capt A Malkani. He added, "It is the gardeners of BMC that brought their gusto and collective green thumbs to this project; we must doff our hats to them."

The gardeners - Madhukar G, Lahu N and Ramesh K - said, "We wanted a tinge of colour along with the green. We hope people enjoy this little space, maintain it, and do not throw rubbish over the little fence and defile it."

Milind Narode, a junior tree officer, said, "We wanted to breathe life to the adage: cleanliness is next to godliness. The COVID outbreak has illustrated the importance of cleanliness more than ever. When a space is spruced up like this, citizens are less inclined to dirty it. It hopefully remains what it is, a pleasant pop of green amidst brick ‘n' mortar grey. Our aim was a mix of beauty and practical, easy to maintain plants."

The maintenance of the patch, the board at the site read, is the responsibility of the Acropolis Co-Operative Housing Society (CHS). "It was the BMC's zest and creativity that changed intent to action," said Indrani Malkani, founder-secretary, Little Gibbs Road 1, 2 and 3 ALM and Acropolis resident.

"The key was working together with ward officials. We also re-did the little border and space, locally known as the ‘otlas' site of magnificent, old trees next to this green slice. The tree roots, which were exposed earlier, are now well-covered and the borders have been painted. Some plants including Bougainvillea saplings have also been added," she finished.