Mumbai’s First Elevated Forest Walkway: Expected Opening Date Revealed By BMC

Mumbai is preparing to unveil its first elevated forest walkway, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) planning to open the trail by the New Year. Located in the greenery of Malabar Hill, the unique pathway stretches 482 meters and promises stunning views of the cityscape, according to The Indian Express, over 90 per cent of the work is already complete, despite facing significant challenges.

A senior BMC official explained that the project was built on a steep slope with an incline of 70-80 degrees, posing a considerable challenge during construction. "The site's inaccessibility made manual labour essential in the early stages, including clearing shrubs, levelling the ground, and creating pathways," the official shared in the Daily. Only after the groundwork was completed could machinery be brought in for piling work, though most materials, such as wood and steel, still had to be manually transported up the slope.

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The BMC prioritised environmental preservation throughout the project. Not a single tree was cut, thanks to detailed surveys that mapped the trail's alignment to avoid harm to the natural habitat. To achieve this, the walkway's length was slightly reduced, ensuring the protection of local flora and fauna.

The trail, which is 2.2 meters wide, offers a walking length of nearly one kilometre and can support up to 500 kg per square meter. Beneath the walkway are British-era water pipelines connected to the Hanging Gardens reservoir. To safeguard these pipelines, the spacing between structural steel pillars was adjusted where necessary, ensuring they remained undisturbed.

Construction was limited to daylight hours, strictly from 9 am to 6 pm, to minimise disruption to the surrounding environment. The project, first proposed in 2020, began construction in 2022 after a tender was awarded for Rs 22 crore. Initially set to be completed in a year, the steep terrain and restricted working hours extended the timeline by another year.

The final phase involves building a utility room, installing CCTV cameras, adding lights along the trail, and setting up speakers for public announcements. Once completed, the elevated walkway is expected to become a landmark attraction, showcasing the city's harmonious blend of urban infrastructure and natural heritage.