BMC imposes restrictive rules to stop ‘exploitation’ of parks

The core of the BMC’s objections lies in its argument that public grounds are being commercially exploited by visitors who conduct varied classes there and charge a fee.

Mumbai: The BMC’s garden department has formulated a new set of rules for public park users, raising a storm of indignation among many residents. Pinned at the entrance of two prominent parks in K/W ward’s plush Juhu locality on Wednesday morning, these rules say that visitors will no longer be able to use Mumbai’s parks for workouts, yoga, badminton, sports and music classes; neither will they be allowed to use the amphitheatres for rehearsals and performances.

The rules say that visitors will no longer be able to use Mumbai’s parks for workouts, yoga, badminton, sports and music classes; neither will they be allowed to use the amphitheatres for rehearsals and performances. If anyone wants to perform at the amphitheatre now, they will have to book it for ₹10,000 and get permission to use the space (Satyabrata Tripathy)

The core of the BMC’s objections lies in its argument that public grounds are being commercially exploited by visitors who conduct varied classes there and charge a fee. For now, these rules have been imposed at the Kishore Kumar and Kaifi Azmi parks in Juhu.

Juhu resident Samarth Das believes that the BMC’s rules have “emerged from the desire for a systematic, ordered way of management and to avoid certain nuisances in the park like loitering”. “However, they are restrictive in practice, especially in parks like Kishore Kumar and Kaifi Azmi, where the amphitheatre is designed to be used informally for impromptu performances and rehearsals,” he said. “If anyone wants to perform at the amphitheatre now, they will have to book it for ₹10,000 and get permission to use the space.”

Das did add, though, that to not allow loudspeakers was a reasonable rule since people also visited parks for peace and quiet. “But someone playing the guitar, performing music at a reasonable volume or children rehearsing for a school performance should be allowed,” he said. “Some people come in with their personal trainers to work out. They pay their own trainers. Why should BMC have a problem? “We want the space to be utilised for multiple purposes and not just for walking.”

When questioned, Jitendra Pardeshi, superintendent of gardens, said that the rules were imposed since the parks belonged to the BMC but were being monetised by a third party. “How can we allow that?” he asked. Hanumanta Gosavi, assistant superintendent of gardens, K/W ward, added that people practiced yoga on the pathway in the Kishore Kumar and Kaifi Azmi parks. “There were a lot of arguments at these parks about yoga warm-ups being performed on walkways and pathways,” he said. “So we decided to have specific rules for the park.”

VOICES

Anand Pendharkar, ecologist and director, SPROUTS

“The BMC is merely a caretaker of public parks and cannot decide what the public should and shouldn’t do in them. Its job is to ensure safety, hygiene and access to the parks. If certain commercial activities are indeed taking place, the money can be collected and handed over to the relevant authority.

Also, you have an amphitheatre and you say there cannot be a performance there? Then what is an amphitheatre for? It is laughable. It is like saying we have a sports ground but you cannot play sports there. Parks are mixed-use spaces and, more importantly, have been proved to reduce stress and criminalisation.”

Gaurang Vora, Matunga resident

“In Five Gardens, children play amateur cricket and badminton. Yoga activities and laughter clubs also happen. People also come there to meditate but none of it is commercial. If an activity hinders walkers and there is an improper commercial angle, then it should be stopped.”

Nitin Killawala, Juhu resident

“Some residents do indeed use the park in a way that benefits them monetarily, but this is no reason for sweeping prohibitive action on the BMC’s part. If there is a particular yoga instructor exploiting the park commercially, the instructor should be changed. The public should not be deprived of doing yoga there. The BMC should work out a way to regulate and, in fact, promote such extempore activities for the public good.”