Exclusive: Shantivan Gardens reopens on February 1 – Radha Goenka advocates for native trees to combat Mumbai’s AQI and rising temperatures

Amid Mumbai's rising pollution levels, Mumbaikars will be able to enjoy the luxury of a 1.2 acre urban forest that replaces Shantivan Gardens. Ahead of the opening on February 1, Radha Goenka, instrumental in bringing it to life with the BMC, speaks to mid-day about how it came to life

In a boost for Mumbai's access to open spaces and green cover, Shantivan Gardens in Malabar Hill is all set to reopen for the public on February 1 as 'The Nest', a 1.2-acre urban forest that will act as a biodiverse sanctuary for nature enthusiasts. Revived by The Heritage Project in collaboration with nature and the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), the urban forest aims to be a breath of fresh air in the city, which is now suffering not only from declining green cover but also open spaces for Mumbaikars.
 
Ahead of the opening, speaking exclusively to mid-day, Radha Goenka, founder of The Heritage Project and director of RPG Foundation, said, "Just like we have our cultural heritage, we also have inherited our natural heritage, which we need to preserve. When I talk about natural heritage, I mean our forests." We as a city, Goenka says, are fortunate enough to have the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, which is within our city limits. She explains, "It is unlike any other city, like for example, New York has Central Park, and London has Hyde Park, we have a forest.

Why is it like that? It is because we inherited it like that in its natural state, and that's amazing."
 
Goenka says when you have the SGNP, it has its climate. It could be hot outside but it won't be as hot inside. If it is raining outside, it will be less strong inside the forest as it trickles down the trees in the forest. It is because a forest naturally lets you regulate climate as it has its ecosystem inside that not only includes the bugs on the ground but also the butterflies, bees and birds play an important role.

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With that being said, Goenka says Mumbai is also facing worsening AQI and temperatures, and the need for the forest is now more than before. "The whole idea that we have with the Green Corridor in Mumbai is to plant the same kind of trees that are in SGNP, which are native to Maharashtra. With that, we are also creating what is scientifically known as 'Stepping Stone Habitats', which means that when the birds fly out of SGNP, they have a place that resembles a micro forest, which resembles the Park with native species. By creating these micro forests, we are encouraging them to fly out of the park and thrive in an ecosystem through these forests across the city. Even the coastal road presents the opportunity to plant trees along it to create a habitat. Creating this would not be a curated garden but a forest to have an environmental impact.
 
It is where 'The Nest' replicates the forest by having walking pathways that don't go through the forest parts of the area, but around it, to not disturb the habitat. Looking futuristically, Goenka says The Heritage Project proposes that there should be more urban forests than parks in Mumbai and around the country in the future. "It is not a garden that you can step on and walk, but one that you can walk around the green oasis," she adds.

Radha Goenka, founder of The Heritage Project and director of RPG Foundation, says more native species need to promoted in Mumbai.

The Nest has over 8,000 new plants and trees (350 species with over 200 native species) resulting in an ideal 70:30 ratio of native to exotic species. With so many different kinds of plants, ask Goenka which is her favourite and she says, "I love the Madhumalti flowers, which are fragrant and native to India. We have planted them along the entrance, and they are yet to grow but they will thrive and that's the beauty of it.
 
The space also aims to be multi-sensory experience through thoughtfully curated zones – Bird Zone, Butterfly Zone, Indigenous Zone, Medicinal Zone, and Carbon-Sink Zone – each featuring its unique ecosystem and biodiversity.
 
Last but not least, Goenka says with The Nest, the goal is to build a prototype not only as a private-funded NGO but more importantly for the government to adopt such a cause. She explains, "If the government converted open spaces with this kind of thinking, it would help." Beyond that, they have already started encouraging people to plant native species of plants and trees in their balconies to build the ecosystem. "With every person in the city planting native trees, it will be helpful as the cause but not without the government taking it up that you should plant only native trees," highlights Goenka as a call to action for everybody in Mumbai.

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