A state-of-the-art park for children

Yes, in space-crunched Mumbai, there is actually going to be a brand-new park where children can even play games that involve some real running around, instead of sitting hunched in front of video game consoles in the nearest mall.

It all started with a random call to a friend, says Raj Shroff, 37, the brain behind the park. “Where are you taking your kids this Sunday?” Shroff had asked his friend. “To the mall, so they can play,” was the reply. “That is what got me thinking,” says Shroff. “We don’t have much to offer our kids in Mumbai. For those who can afford a membership to one of the elite clubs, this problem doesn’t arise. But what about all the others? It’s a shame that we have to take our children to the mall so they can play video games all day.”

Shroff, who heads Charak Pharma, an ayurvedic medicine company, decided to rectify this. He found a vacant plot of land behind the American Consulate on Bhulabhai Desai Road, and had the land allotted to the Bhulabhai Desai Residents Forum. “There was this two-acre plot of wasteland overlooking the sea which hadn’t yet been encroached upon. So I worked towards getting the land allotted to the local trust, and then took it upon myself to build a park for children,” he says.

And not just any park. With swings, jungle-gyms and slides from Denmark-based play equipment manufacturer, Kompan, this park fits international standards. Scheduled to open next week, the as-yet-unnamed park in the middle of a jam-packed area takes you by surprise with its pristine serenity and spaciousness. As the waves lash against the boundary wall of the park, Shroff, looking out from the elephant-frog fountain at the entrance, says with a hint of pride, “The best part has been to see the park take form: from just a concept to the real thing.”

Naturally, developing the park had its share of problems. In between acquiring the land and importing the equipment, Shroff was taken to court. “I think it was because of a wrong perception,” he says. Because he is also general secretary of the Mumbai Congress, the locals had reservations about what he was doing on government land, he says. “There were times when I wondered what I was doing and why I had gotten myself into this… It’s ironic really; I’m in the pharma business and I’ve never been to court for anything related to my company. But the moment I start with some social work, I get a legal notice.”

“But at the end of the day, what counts is that we made it through the problems.” Once he explained to the locals and the authorities what the plan was, they were very supportive, going out of their way to pitch in and help out, he says. To fund the park, Shroff had made a list of sponsors he wanted to approach, and when the first name on his list agreed to fund the entire project, he was doubly motivated. “I’ve realised that money’s never a problem. It’s the attitude that counts. When someone knows that their money will yield good results, they’re more than willing to help,” he says, walking along the ‘Nature Trail’, pausing to look at the rhinoceros that glares menacingly.

The park itself is divided into zones, with slides, rides and jungle-gyms designed for different age groups. As Shroff passes the fibre model of a mermaid and the cut-out images of ‘Shaktimaan’ and a girl, which serve as “photo opportunities,” he points at the back and head of two hippopotamuses, explaining that these were embedded in the grass so children could use them as stepping stones. This isn’t the first time Shroff has taken up such an initiative. “In London, at the zoo with my kids, I couldn’t help thinking how shameful it was that I’d never taken my daughters to the zoo back home.” Shroff was instrumental in getting the Mumbai zoo redevelopment project going. As he reaches the shark, he smiles. “This is inspired by something similar that I saw at Hollywood’s Universal Studios. I know it’s not a great idea to show kids the model of a captured shark, but I think they’ll enjoy this, especially since we’re near the sea,” he says, laughing at the paint-blood dripping from the shark’s mouth.