AFTER nearly eight years behind barricades, Sane Guruji Udyan in Prabhadevi, Mumbai, has finally reopened for public use, bringing a sense of relief among residents. The garden had been shut and occupied by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for the construction of the Siddhivinayak Metro Station, a key stop on the Aqua Line of the Mumbai Metro network.

For residents living around Prabhadevi and Dadar West, the reopening marks the return of one of the few accessible green lungs in an otherwise congested urban pocket. Morning walkers, senior citizens, and families with young children appeared happy to reclaim a space that had remained inaccessible for almost a decade.