Mumbai's outrage halts 2,500% SGNP walker pass fee hike
What's the story
The proposed steep hike in the annual morning walker pass at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Mumbai has been put on hold due to public outcry. The Forest Department had planned to increase the pass price from ₹383 to ₹10,000, a 2511% jump. However, after receiving strong criticism from citizens, particularly early morning walkers and senior citizens, the decision was deferred.
Hike rationale
Price hike met with resistance
The proposed price hike was intended to improve civic amenities within the park and strengthen patrolling. However, it met with resistance as regular visitors felt it unfairly targeted morning walkers without addressing other facilities like parking and boating. According to Mid-day, Vilas Satpalakar, a regular visitor, questioned why only the annual and monthly passes for morning walkers were revised while other charges remained unchanged.
Visitor response
Protest threat if decision goes ahead
Roshani Jain, a 65-year-old who has been visiting SGNP for 40 years, was also quoted as expressing her anger over the proposed hike. She reportedly said regular visitors were already angry and many were ready to protest if the decision went ahead. Jain also suggested that the steep proposal may have been intended to normalize a lower but still significant increase later on.
Decision suspension
Administration suspends decision amid public backlash
In light of the public backlash, the administration swiftly suspended the decision on April 30. Officials confirmed that earlier rates would remain in force until a revised proposal is finalized. The hike is now being reconsidered after taking into account citizen feedback. Regular visitors have welcomed this reprieve but remain uncertain about future changes to pricing structures and timelines for any revisions.