What was meant to offer a birds-eye walk through South Mumbai’s green canopy is now revealing a far uglier sight. Just a year after its inauguration, the Malabar Hill treetop walkway is overlooking slopes littered with plastic waste, as tourists toss snack packets and bottles off the edge of the Hanging Gardens, turning a forest experience into a dumping ground.

Opened to the public on April 1, 2025, the Malabar Hill walkway, South Mumbai’s first treetop walkway, quickly became a major tourist draw. However, residents say the surge in footfall has come at a cost, with garbage steadily piling up on the hill slopes below.