Activists, residents protest against exorbitant cost of unnecessary replacement of existing facilities at Five Gardens in central Mumbai

After the facelift for Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, the popular Five Gardens park, in Wadala, is being renovated. The exercise has been done in one of the gardens which has a police post, and another that has a water tank, and the rest of the work is to follow soon.

According to information gathered by activists Nitin Desai and Ashok Ravat through RTI applications, the civic authorities have spent a modest Rs30 lakh on the Five Gardens project so far. This includes short lampposts that cost Rs50,000 each and benches that each cost Rs30,000. But, the residents are unconvinced about the need for such renovation work as the gardens were not in any poor condition to deserve such expenditure.

Nitin Desai said, "The Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) wants to similarly renovate other popular gardens across the city through this one single contractor. If this is so, one can only imagine the wasteful expenditure they will incur."

Work orders for renovation in gardens 'A' and 'B' describe the replacement of old lampposts at a cost of Rs50,000, inclusive of fittings and wiring. In garden 'A' 31 new lampposts, which the BMC says are 'antiques'. In Garden 'B', where there were originally just four lampposts in the centre, 33 new lampposts have been installed on the sidewalks.

The total cost is said to be Rs7.4 lakh. The wiring costs totals Rs7.67 lakh. The activists said that when they inquired at some shops about similar wrought-iron lampposts models they were given an estimate of about Rs2,000 each.

The old concrete benches that were donated by Ghanshyam Saraf Trust were perfectly functional, and still pulled out and replaced with new benches that cost Rs 30,000 each. Twenty-nine benches have been placed in garden 'A' at a cost of about Rs9 lakh.

Even the placement of the benches is not proper. "They have made bench clusters, which are now hangouts for antisocial elements after dark," Mr Desai said.

The civic authorities proposed to pave the footpath around garden 'B' with granite, which would cost about Rs20 lakh. But after the activists protested that the existing pavement was in good condition and did not require to be changed, the original concrete structure was allowed to be retained, and the touching-up cost only Rs5 lakh.

This work was undertaken this year itself, with the first order given in January. Work in garden 'B' was taken up first and then garden 'A' was completed in March. However, since the queries raised by the activists and residents, the remaining work has been put on hold.

The authorities propose to beautify the footpaths around gardens 'A', 'B' and 'C' at a cost of Rs20 lakh and this was initially planned to be completed in 40 days. No amount has been specified for the protection and maintenance of the renovated gardens. Besides, all this work is being handled by just one local contractor.

"Parsi Colony is a sleepy area, and after sunset, it is very quiet," said Mr Ravat. "The only people hanging around in the area at night are vagabonds and goons. The luxurious benches and lights provide the perfect setting for them to sleep and bid their time."