Twenty open-space properties owned by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and reserved for gardens, playgrounds and recreational activities are still under the control of private organisations, trusts and other agencies. Their repossession has been delayed as the civic body awaits approval of a revised policy governing adopted open spaces.
Spread across 11 civic wards, the 20 properties collectively cover around 330,074 square metres. R South and P South wards, covering parts of Kandivali and Goregaon, have three properties each, while D ward in south Mumbai has the largest share by area.
The two D ward properties, Amarsons Udyan and Priyadarshini Park, together account for nearly 75,000 sq m. Priyadarshini Park alone covers approximately 65,000 sq m.
A BMC gardens department official said some of the properties have remained with the respective organisations for nearly 20 years, with certain agencies being “reluctant to hand them over”.
The civic administration said the delay stems from the absence of a policy governing adopted open spaces. Phased repossession was reportedly directed by then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in 2016. However, the process was subsequently suspended while a revised policy was prepared. The draft has now been finalised, with repossession expected to begin once it receives approval.
The issue is significant given Mumbai’s limited availability of public open spaces. During the preparation of Development Plan 2034, the city was estimated to have only around 0.88 sq m of open space per person, considerably lower than the 10–12 sq m per capita recommended for large cities under urban development planning guidelines.
Civic activists have raised concerns about public access and accountability. Reji Abraham, president of the United Association for Social Educational and Public Welfare Trust, alleged an “unwarranted loot” of public assets and “continued commercial exploitation” of BMC-owned spaces.
Abraham has sought a fixed timeline for repossession and public disclosure of each property’s status, including details of commercial activities and revenues.
However, organisations managing some properties maintain that their arrangements predate the BMC’s adoption policy. Susieben Shah, general secretary of the Malabar Hill Citizens Forum, said Priyadarshini Park had remained with the organisation for about 45 years under a leave-and-licence agreement with the BMC.
Former MP Gopal Shetty said the civic body had also been urged to reclaim two properties managed by Poinsur Gymkhana—Swatantra Veer Savarkar Udyan in Borivali West and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Kridanagan in Kandivali West.
With the revised policy awaiting approval, the future management of more than 330,000 sq m of civic-owned open land remains under scrutiny.
Source: Mumbai Live
