Looks do matter, thinks Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). That’s why it has earmarked Rs329.75 crore for beautification and setting up tourist spots in the city.
Beaches, gardens to be spruced up; Haji Ali promenade will be widened; heritage to be restored
Looks do matter, thinks Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). That’s why it has earmarked Rs329.75 crore for beautification and setting up tourist spots in the city.
The municipal budget 2008-09, presented by commissioner Jairaj Phatak, has given aesthetics almost the same priority as the development of infrastructure.
Fuelling the ‘Destination City’ dream, BMC has made large-scale provisions to turn Mumbai into a tourist destination. An amount of Rs11.5 crore has been set aside for cleaning up beaches at Madh, Marve, Manori and Gorai. Another Rs10 crore will be spent to beautify the seafront in Dadar and Mahim.
Allocation has been made for the widening of Haji Ali promenade, a favourite with the tourists. Lining the envisaged elliptical path would be seats and viewing galleries, each representing a zodiac sign.
BMC is also keen to restore heritage sites, such as Mahim fort, Flora Fountain and Wellington Fountain. A crore of rupees has been set aside for this.
Aware that cleanliness is next only to godliness, Phatak said that the house-to-house garbage collection system would be made three times more extensive - from 28 per cent to 80 per cent. BMC has planned to award zonal contracts for waste collection.
To stop people from urinating by the wayside, it plans to construct a toilet every 1 km along the highways. Plus, each of the 227 electoral wards will have at least one public toilet.
To add a dash of green to the city, BMC would be planting 7,057 tress, spending Rs23.28 crore. To promote the go green concept among citizens, there would be exhibition of plants and flowers. Adding to the aesthetics, there would be landscaped gardens.
Showing its citizen friendly face, BMC plans to spend Rs10 lakh to enter an arrangement with cyber cafes, which would enable Mumbaikars to access civic services online. Previously too, the civic body has proposed similar schemes, but nothing came of them. Hope it would be lucky this time.
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