A day after the Bombay high court slammed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the loss of open spaces and green cover in Mumbai, Shiv Sena has again decided to push for its demand for a park at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse. It has demanded that the racecourse should be developed on the lines of Central Park in New York City.
In a letter to the municipal commissioner, civic house leader and senior Sena corporator Trishna Vishwasrao has said that the BMC should set up a Central Park at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse like the one in New York City.
Ms Vishwasrao said, “The high court ruling has underlined the absence of green zones in the city. Shiv Sena chief late Balasaheb Thackeray too had dreamt of setting up a park at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, which is at the heart of the city.”
Hence, the BMC should start necessary proceedings to take over the racecourse ground from the state government and set up Central Park there. Apart from complying with court orders, this will also help reduce pollution with the rise of green cover in the city, she added. The HC on Wednesday had pulled up the BMC for not doing enough to protect the city’s green cover. Urging the civic body to maintain them like other countries, the court had questioned, “Why can’t we have a Central Park like the one in New York ”
However, according to civic sources, Sena’s demand is a clever ploy to use the court ruling to its advantage by pressurising the BJP-led state government to accede to its demand of setting up a theme park at the Racecourse.
Shiv Sena has plans to set up a themed garden at the 8.55 lakh-sq-metre Mahalaxmi Racecourse, of which 2.58 lakh sq metre belongs to the BMC, while the remaining 5.97 lakh sq metre space is owned by the state government. However, despite the racecourse lease agreement expiring on May 31, 2014, the BJP has given a cold shoulder to Sena’s demand so far.
Chiding Sena’s demand, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande said, “Instead of concentrating on the Racecourse, Shiv Sena should to try to save National Park and Aarey Colony which are under threat from encroachments. The BMC is planning to set up a business hub at Aarey Colony by destroying the green cover there. Its green patch should be converted into a Central Park instead.”
