Giving in to Mumbaikars’ demands, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Thursday took the long pending decision, of keeping the city’s parks and gardens open for longer hours.  Now gardens will be open from 5 am to 10 pm, with a break from 1 pm to 3 pm on weekdays but on weekends and holidays there won’t be a break. The BMC had taken the decision to open the grounds round the clock in 2018 but it was withdrawn due to security reasons.

At present, parks and grounds are open from 6 am to 12 pm and 3 pm to 9 pm. “Considering the increased number of health-conscious citizens, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, the BMC has decided to keep its gardens open for longer. It will ensure proper use of grounds and parks by more and more citizens,” said Jitendra Pardeshi, superintendent of gardens. There are a total of 229 gardens, 432 recreation grounds, 318 playgrounds and 26 parks in the metropolis.