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Garden-goers, small businesses unhappy with fresh restrictions
With the summer vacation fast approaching, residents are unhappy over the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)’s decision of closing down public gardens in the city during evening hours
With the summer vacation fast approaching, residents are unhappy over the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)’s decision of closing down public gardens in the city during evening hours.
On Saturday, joggers, senior citizens, youngsters returned home with a pale look on their face with gardens authorities barring entry inside.
“The garden will remain open only during morning hours from 6am to 10am, according to the district administration’s order issued on March 12.
There are 200 gardens within the PMC limit and the normal rush was back in the garden from January after they reopened in November 2020.
“My daily routine of evening walk will be disturbed again with the garden closing down. We have a group of senior citizens who come every day to the garden,” said Vijay Bhide who visits Tatyasaheb Thorat garden (also known as Shivaji garden), near Karve Putla.
The garden department had to suffer losses of ₹11 crore during 11 months (March 2020 to January 2021) will be suffering more with the evening closure.
The garden department revenue is generated from the exhibitions of flower, fruits and plants and selling saplings which is not happening at the moment.
“With cases increasing, this decision was important to stop fresh Covid-19 cases as the crowd is almost back to normal at every garden. The department will suffer more losses, but we don’t have many options,” said Ashok Ghorpade, superintendent of gardens, PMC.
“I prefer evening jogging than morning since there are more people in the garden in the morning but now I think I will switch again to the morning session,” said Vikram Joshi who went back to his home without jogging from Tatyasaheb Thorat garden.
Street eateries fears losses
Ganesh Khole of Sukhwandi Dablei centre who owns his business outside Tatyasaheb Thorat garden is worried if a lockdown will be imposed again.
Khole fears he won’t be able to earn anything if a lockdown is imposed again.
“70 per cent of customers who frequently visit us are from the garden but now it is closed again. It will impact the business,” Khole said.
Parshuram Fawaday, Punam Bhel centre at Sambhaji Garden, JM road said, “The PMC has also closed the garden in the afternoon which makes operating the business more difficult for us.”
There are 18 street eateries at Sambhaji garden premises which are also known as Hawkers area No 35.
“Most of them ran away after the first lockdown. Few of them had started their business but they will remain closed from today. Our peak business hours are 4pm to 10pm,” added Fawaday.
“Since January, the rush of people has increased. We keep on asking people to maintain a social distance and wear masks. Some listen to us while others ignore,” Savita Gaikwad, watch guard at Tatyasaheb Thorat Garden.
