Mumbai's first mangrove park at Gorai may open before Diwali, but no date is confirmed

The gates of Mumbai's first mangrove park may soon open to the public. The Forest Department is aiming to inaugurate the park at Gorai in the next 10 to 15 days, possibly before Diwali. However, the date of the inauguration has not yet been officially confirmed.

Local residents, people interested in the environment and political representatives are watching the development. They are demanding that the authorities make the facility easily accessible to the public.

Hopes of an inauguration rose after N R Praveen, head of the Mangrove Cell, reportedly visited the site and inspected the condition of the park. A Forest Department source said officers wanted the park to open before the Diwali holidays so that students and families could see and understand the area's coastal ecosystem.

BJP MLA Sanjay Upadhyay has also indicated that the inauguration is expected soon. He said the park would be opened as soon as possible. Even so, the schedule for the official inauguration is still pending.

Why the park has stayed shut has been troubling residents and nature lovers. The development work on the project was reportedly completed months ago. Delays in administrative formalities and in finalising the inauguration have kept the public from visiting the site. Officials have not yet confirmed an official date for the inauguration.

In March, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray wrote to Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik. In the letter, he requested the government to inaugurate the park without further delay.

Local representatives have also raised the issue through public demonstrations and memoranda. They have asked officials to open the facility before the festival season. Residents say the place was created to provide environmental education and to promote appreciation of Mumbai's coastal biodiversity, but its long closure has reduced public access to it.

Spread over about eight hectares along Gorai Creek, the park has been developed as an eco-tourism and environmental education destination. Its facilities are meant to help visitors understand the importance of mangrove forests while causing the least possible disturbance to the surrounding ecosystem.