Bandstand garden fails to impress despite ₹18 cr cost

Bandra residents are dismayed over the beautification work at Bandra Bandstand fort garden, which reopened to the public on Monday, after a two-year hiatus.

They have voiced concerns over changes to the fort area, particularly the axing of trees and the replacement of grass with paved cement and concrete. The popular tourist spot has been revamped at a cost of around Rs18 crore.

The green space has been largely replaced with extensive concrete, resulting in a loss of charm and aesthetics, the locals asserted. Residents expressed their frustration and said that the old fort walls have been plastered over and painted. They said it was a cool, shaded place earlier but now it is "a monument to the cement concrete and construction lobby".