Mumbai: A park for the people

Security personnel cautioned children not to ldquoburst the balloonsrdquo as they ran through the gates of the wellknown Pushpa Narsee Park in Juhu The parkmdashwith a cycling track being an impressive and unique featuremdashwas festooned with balloons in tricolour fashion late evening on February 19 evening It was decked up for a formal reopening by Ameet Satam BJP MLA from Andheri WestThe park was in the news a while ago as there was a plan to construct an underground parking facility at the site There was opposition to that plan with environmentalists activists and citizens citing alternatives and pressing for the park to remain a garden The underground parking plan has been scotched and the park has remained a garden even undergoing an uplift recently which was reason for the formal reopeningEqual musicCelebrated architect P K Das was on the dais at the reopening Das said in his address to the audience ldquoThis is an evening of happiness Ameet Satam has been responsible for so many parks As a city we have a dismal ratio when for people to open spaces That is why these places become so necessary and preciousrdquoYoung people enjoy themselves at the parkFor Das a big positive of these open spaces is they serve as ldquogreat equalisersrdquo ldquoOnce you step in here you are not more or less than the next person you are equal Earlier this space had a paid entry ticket today it is freerdquo he said to cheers ldquoThis I think is the biggest achievementrdquo he added to applauseThe planSatam in his address stated that the park was inaugurated in October 2011 ldquoIt was made over a period of roughly five years I had heard there was a ticket price to enter earlier Then we also had some kind of lsquonurseryrsquo at the park where lsquoXrsquo amount was being paid per month by the nursery to the park There were some fairs and programmes on at the spacehellip there was even a vegetable market held here This was a gross misuse of space Certain complaints had come to my notice At first I didnrsquot pay heed to these but then decided that this entry paid cycle track system etc must be abolishedrdquoSatam said he was of the opinion that there should be a car park underneath this garden ldquoI had thought we could have two floors of parking underground and have the garden on top The car park plan was also a way to ensure that this garden or park goes back to the municipal authorities I wanted it back under the management of the BMCrdquoPlans changeSatam claimed he was eventually convinced not to look at underground parking ldquoThere was opposition from some I was told there are beautiful trees herehellip they will be affected I was known for gardens so why not retain this park as is I was asked and that is what I went for eventually I did not want underground parking for my car personally it was for the public Yet once I was convinced to scrap that plan there was no ego I abolished the underground parking idea and saw that this space remained a garden as is I have at least 51 open spaces developed over 12 years None of them are controlled by me Once the work is done I hand them over to the BMC and I am out of thererdquo explained Satam The MLA referred to several upcoming projects in Andheri too as the function wound up As dusk fell ecstatic kids tore through the park which is now a place for walking running cycling on two heels not for stationary four wheelsFeb 19Day park was reopened2011Year park was first inaugurated