Mumbai Mayor Opens Byculla Bungalow Grounds to Morning Walkers
Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde opened the premises of the official Mayor's Bungalow in Byculla to local residents and senior citizens for morning walks on Saturday, marking the occasion of the nation's 80th Independence Day.
After hoisting the national flag at the residence on Saturday morning, Tawde opened the main entrance gate for senior citizens. Under the new initiative, the grounds of the heritage-listed residence will remain accessible to the public every morning from 6 am to 9 am.
Under the arrangement, citizens will be able to walk along the pathway adjacent to the bungalow and use the expansive, tree-covered grounds. The measure comes in response to difficulties faced by local senior citizens in finding adequate open spaces for their daily routines.
The current official residence of the Mumbai Mayor is situated near the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo in Byculla. Tawde, who assumed office as Mayor in February 2026, began residing at the official quarters towards the end of June 2026. Following regular interactions with residents living in the vicinity, Tawde personally decided to open the green premises in the public interest.
The initiative follows the recent discontinuation of a decades-old morning walking facility inside the adjacent Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) halted morning walks at the zoo last month in compliance with animal welfare guidelines issued by the Central Zoo Authority.
Under the earlier system at the zoo, registered morning walkers were granted access to a designated stretch inside the botanical garden and zoo premises between 6 am and 8 am for a monthly fee of Rs 150. Local residents and senior citizens welcomed the opening of the Mayor's Bungalow grounds as an alternative space for their daily exercise.
