Mumbai Mayor Opens Byculla Bungalow Premises for Morning Walkers
Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde on August 15 opened the pathway adjoining her official residence and its premises in Byculla for morning walkers, offering an alternative green space after walks inside the neighbouring zoo were discontinued.
Local residents can now access the pathway surrounding the heritage-category bungalow daily between 6 am and 9 am. Tawde announced the measure on Independence Day and opened the main gate of the official residence after hoisting the national flag.
The initiative follows the discontinuation of morning walks at Byculla's Veermata Jijabai Bhosale botanical garden and zoo in July. Decades of morning walks at the facility were brought to an end after the implementation of guidelines from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA).
The CZA's 2023 guidelines mandate that zoos ensure animals receive a disturbance-free period before the general arrival of visitors. In addition to the CZA requirements, officials noted complaints about certain walkers feeding stray dogs and plucking flowers inside the zoo grounds.
Under the previous arrangement, registered walkers had been permitted to access a designated stretch inside the zoo between 6 am and 8 am by paying a nominal monthly fee of Rs 150.
The Mayor's official residence is situated in the vicinity of the zoo and is surrounded by trees and greenery. Tawde moved into the bungalow with her family towards the end of June, following her assumption of office as Mayor in February 2026.
The decision to make the bungalow premises available is aimed at providing relief to regular morning walkers affected by the zoo closure, granting them access to a tranquil environment while maintaining compliance with animal-care requirements.
