Lack of maintenance leaves iconic Chhota Kashmir garden in shambles

When HT visited the garden, it saw most of the benches were broken, while the entire fencing around the garden was missing.The public utility washroom was stinking and in a dilapidated condition. There was no electricity in the entire premises.

Mumbai: The iconic Chhota Kashmir garden in Aarey Colony, which is more than 70 years old, is struggling to keep up with its grace and is losing its charm due to the lack of civic infrastructure and maintenance over the last two and a half years. Before the pandemic, the garden saw a daily footfall of 900 to 1,000 people. However, in the recent past, only 150 to 200 people have been visiting the place daily.

Lack of maintenance leaves iconic Chhota Kashmir garden in shambles

When HT visited the garden, it saw most of the benches were broken, while the entire fencing around the garden was missing. The public utility washroom was stinking and in a dilapidated condition. There was no electricity in the entire premises.

“Most of the benches and iron rods in the fencing are stolen. A majority of the caretakers have retired and the few remaining are too old to look after the garden, which is spread across 19 acres,” said Subhajit Mukherjee, founder, Mission Green Mumbai. “It is always a blame game when the leadership changes in the area. The Aarey Colony CEO is not bothered to redevelop the iconic site.”

There is no proper water supply to maintain the garden, he said, adding, “More than 2,000 newly-planted trees have dried up. Many trees get burnt as people illegally set fire to garbage and plastic items during the night. This kind of a situation is heart breaking, especially for a city striving to keep its flora and fauna alive.

“As there is no electricity, the garden turns into a den of illegal activities during the night,” said Mukherjee. People loiter in the garden with liquor bottles and other objectionable materials, he added.

The garden also featured the iconic pagoda wooden house inaugurated by country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. However, that too has collapsed due to lack of maintenance and harsh weather.

Meanwhile, when HT contacted Dalavi Subhash, CEO of Aarey Milk Colony, he said, “We have forwarded the redevelopment request to the PWD department. They have floated tenders regarding the same and we are hoping to begin our work soon.”

Mukherjee, however, was not satisfied with the CEO’s response and said, “We have been hearing about tenders for the last four years. This is nothing new. No development has happened yet. They never listen to us. They say these things only to calm down the public.”

Chhota Kashmir, also known as OP Garden, was inaugurated in 1941. It was an iconic destination for many Bollywood films during the 1960s and 1970s. A song from the legendary movie Aradhana, starring late Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore, was shot in the garden.