After gifting a jogging track-cum-walkway to Powai Lake recently, the BMC is all set to make a walkway around the Bandra Talao in its second phase of beautification.

According to BMC officials and local corporator, the new walkway would attract more people to the water body.

Corporator Asif Zakaria said, "The pathway will be constructed along the periphery of the pond and people can use it as a jogging track or a walkway.
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The area in which the talao is located is quite busy and the beautification would give Bandra residents another place to unwind themselves."


BMC plans to make a walkway around the Bandra Talao to attract more people to the heritage place

He further added that along with the other promenades, which will prove useful for the residents of Bandra and Khar for jogging, the walkway at Bandra talao will be another green lung in the Bandra.

The project work will begin in a month and the BMC will try to complete it before the year end, said Rahul Shewale, the civic body's standing committee chairperson.

The civic body had last year undertaken a drive to spruce up the pond and accomplished the renovation work within Rs 48 lakh as against the Rs 60 lakh sanctioned for the first phase of the project.u00a0

"In the second phase also we would try to stick to the budget allotted as the corporation has insufficient funds at the moment," Shewale said.

The pond was in a bad condition with horrible stench emanating from it. The water body also played as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

A BMC official said, people made the water body dirtier by throwing foodstuff for the fishes and ducks into it. Many threw flowers and puja paraphernalia in the lake.

The ward office, however, focused on simple, cost-effective and eco-friendly ways to clean the lake, which reportedly had a 2 m silt deposited on its bed. Urban designer and architect P K Das cleaned the pond without draining out water from it.

The BMC also plans to set up a chowky and night lamps along the walkway to ensure safety to the joggers and visitors.

The History
The lake first named after S V Sarovar in 1987. It was also called Motha Sarovar, Lotus Tank as well as Bandra Talao.

Other Walkways
Free walkways-cum-jogging track for the people in Bandra Carter Road Promenade, Bandstand Promenade, Reclamation Promenade, Chimbai Waterfront is in the pipeline.