A senior official said the funds will be utilised for undertaking improvement and beautification works for developed open spaces which are being maintained by the civic body.
In a city where the depleting green cover is putting a serious strain on resources, here’s some news to cheer.
Open spaces appear to be getting more importance in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) agenda. The civic body has decided to renew its efforts to maintain existing gardens, playgrounds and recreation grounds. It has decided to allocate Rs72 crore — Rs3 crore for each of its 24 administrative wards — for open space management.
A senior official said the funds will be utilised for undertaking improvement and beautification works for developed open spaces which are being maintained by the civic body.
Allocation of dedicated funds for maintenance of open spaces had not been made in this year’s budgetary outlay.
Hit by the economic meltdown, the BMC had decided to concentrate on delivery of basic infrastructure services and ongoing projects.
Vilas Chavri, chairman, markets and gardens committee, said the decision was prompted by a demand from elected representatives, who complained of bad health of open spaces in their ward. “The administration decided to respect the demand put forth by them,” he said.
A formal proposal will be tabled before the civic standing committee next week, a senior civic official said.
Civil works contractors hired by the BMC will carry out works identified by the civic body under the project.
Officials said beautification carried out by the civic body will reduce the possibilities of abuse and misuse of the open spaces.
The project had received good response from citizens when it was first initiated in 2007. Nearly 84 open spaces were upgraded in two years.
Chavri said there were at least 100 open spaces where improvement work was needed urgently. The BMC had allocated Rs5 crore for the same exercise in the previous two financial years
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