Over 50 parks, gardens, playgrounds and recreational grounds in Mumbai and its suburbs are under private control despite the absence of a set guideline, some controlled by politicians and former sportsmen. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is currently in the process of creating a draft policy on open spaces, but activists fear that the policy will allow private parties to take control of Mumbai’s remaining open spaces. A proposed bill by MLA Ashish Shelar demands that the BMC be in charge of maintaining open spaces to prevent commercial exploitation by private parties.
51 open spaces in city are under private control
