31 gardens in Pune reopen in first phase of unlocking of parks

PUNE With the city ready to unlock from June 7, 2021, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will also reopen 31 gardens for residents

PUNE With the city ready to unlock from June 7, 2021, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will also reopen 31 gardens for residents. The PMC has built and maintained 204 gardens, but as a precaution and to reopen in a phase-wise manner, 31 gardens will reopen on Monday.

Gardens, like this one in Katraj, will re-open on Monday, though groups will not be allowed inside. (RAVINDRA JOSHI/HT)

Ashok Ghorpade, chief superintendent, PMC’s garden department, said, “We will be opening 31 gardens, which are equipped with jogging tracks. Those who follow all norms will be allowed inside the garden. There is no seating on benches allowed and no using of gym equipment. Also, no groups to be allowed inside the gardens. Those above the age of 65 years, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years will not be allowed entry. We have appointed two personnel from the staff for scrutiny and have orders to ask people to leave for not following rules.”

Parshuram Kadam, a resident of Aundh, welcomed the reopening of the public gardens. He said, “We have been at home for a long time without any exercise, and are waiting to breathe in the open air.”

Regulars at Sarasbaug will be disappointed as this garden will be opened only in the second phase. “We are all regulars at Sarasbaug, but since the gardens were closed, we have found alternative ways to keep fit. We are happy that this unlock will see other gardens opening up, after all the only way we can keep our mind and body fresh and healthy is by exercising,” said Anand Saraf.

In 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the PMC had closed all its gardens and parks from March 23. After the restrictions were eased, PMC reopened 33 gardens on June 3, 2020, for two hours in the morning and evening, for walking and jogging. As citizens were violating Covid norms, PMC decided to close the gardens after a week.

The gardens again reopened on November 1, 2020. In the first phase, it was 81 and after that, 60. In February 2021, 141 gardens were reopened. Then in March 2021 as the second wave kicked in, all the gardens were closed again.

31 gardens reopening are:

Damodar Vagaskar udyan (garden/park), Koregaon park, lane 6,

Mangal Prakash udyan, B T Kawde road

Aayappa udyan, Tingrenagar

Lumbini udyan, MHB colony, Yerawada

Pragati udyan, Tingrenagar

Rohan Jagdish Shinde udyan, Dhanori,

Surendra Hasraj Anand udhyan, Dhanori

Swami Vivekanand udyan, Vimannagar (only jogging track)

Damodar Ravji Galande Patil joggers‘ park, Kalyaninagar

Bhaskarraoji Sakhoji Shinde, Chandannagar,

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj udyan, Wadgaonsheri

Marutirao Gaikwad udyan, Aundh

Sanjay Mahadev Nimhan, Pashan,

Vithoba Balaji Murkute, Baner,

Jaibhavani udyan, Sutarwadi,

Panchavati, Panchvati

Sambhajiraje udyan, Shivajinagar

Kamla Nehru park, Erandwane

Hirwai garden, Prabhat road

Bhimsen Joshi udyan, Bhusari colony

Tatyasaheb Thorat udyan, Kothrud

Pradeep Thatwade, Karve nagar

Dr Shamaprasad Mukherjee udyan, Pathwardhan baug

Pruthak Barate udyan, Warje

Raja Mantri, Erandwane

Baburao Walvekar udyan, Saharkar nagar

Ahilyabai holkar udyan, Katraj

Sinhagad Vikas udyan, Wadgaon

Hemant Karkare udyan, satavwadi

Swami Vivekanand udyan, Kondhwa

Udaan Jaivividha Udyan, Viman nagar