Mumbai: A decades-old practice of allowing morning walkers inside the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo in Byculla has ended, with the BMC discontinuing the facility last month in line with animal welfare guidelines issued by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA). For years, registered walkers were allowed access to a designated stretch within the premises between 6 am and 8 am for a nominal monthly fee of Rs 150. Authorities said that after complaints from walkers, they have decided to allow access to a designated stretch near the ticketing area, opposite the museum, beginning at the entry plaza.The move has disappointed regular walkers. Byculla resident Sanjay Naik said, “We have been requesting the authorities to allow at least a small portion of the premises for morning walkers. Many people have been walking here for years and it has become a part of their daily routine.”Zoo authorities said the decision complies with the CZA’s 2023 guidelines, which require zoos to provide animals with a disturbance-free period before opening to visitors. Officials cited complaints of walkers feeding stray dogs and plucking flowers.Hutokshi Rustomfram, trustee of the Save Rani Bagh Botanical Garden Foundation, said the administration should continue to impress upon the CZA that the premises are a dual facility comprising both a botanical garden and a zoo. “The botanical garden predates the zoo by 30 years and was the reason for its establishment. Morning walkers have historically used Rani Bagh and should continue to be welcomed,” she said.Trustee Shubhada Nikharge said Mumbai is starved of green spaces and citizens should be encouraged, not barred, from using the city’s largest one. “It is part of Rani Bagh’s egalitarian ethos. It once also served as a thoroughfare for residents and schoolchildren between Patanwalla Marg and Sant Savta Marg. If visitors are feeding stray dogs, security can check for food at the entry gate,” she said.
