From RTIs to court battles: How a few women banded together to save Mumbai's only heritage botanical garden, Rani Bagh (VIDEO)

In 2007, when the civic body announced that it was planning to redevelop Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo, also popularly known as Rani Bagh, and make it into a zoo of international standards by spending ₹433 crore, it shocked a lot of Mumbaikars. But particularly shocked was a bunch of five to seven women who were keen on natural history and amateur botany and visited this space often. “When we heard that this old and historic botanical garden was to be redeveloped, we united to protect it—first as a committee (2007), and then as a registered charitable trust (2012),” shares Hutokshi Rustomfram, founder-trustee, Save Rani Bagh Botanical Garden Foundation.

Vikas Dilawari, Conservation Architect

The group is a small, not-for-profit citizens’ collective, galvanised into action by the BMC’s proposed redevelopment project, which would have gutted the historic botanical garden. Using the Right to Information Act, the group obtained documents that revealed extensive construction planned for the site, despite no treeless space being available. With the help of architects, engineers, and heritage experts, they raised demands: the botanical garden’s character must be preserved, the proposed zoo must not overtake it, and the garden’s original purpose—as envisioned when Victoria Gardens was established—must remain intact.

On average, Rani Bagh sees around 8,000 visitors a day

“We urged the authorities to renovate the animal enclosures within their existing footprint and not disturb the historic 6.4-kilometre pathway network, which was in danger of being cut down to 2.4 kilometres. We feared that such changes would not only destroy the botanical garden but also turn an egalitarian public space—where thousands visit daily—into an exclusive, Disney-style zoo with higher entry fees, robbing it of its character as a haven for all,” explains Rustomfram.

The citizens’ group pursued every democratic avenue—meeting civic officials, the Central Zoo Authority, the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee, and even approaching the Bombay High Court. Their strategy centred on obtaining and analysing documents to build a strong case. Key milestones followed: the heritage committee rejected redevelopment plans in 2011 and 2014, and in 2016, the municipal commissioner agreed to modify the project in line with their concerns, ensuring animal enclosures were renovated within their existing footprint.

While pressing for Rani Bagh’s preservation as a botanical garden, the group faced attempts to downplay its significance and responded by presenting extensive evidence. Their efforts paid off in 2022, when the Development Plan officially designated the site as a botanical garden. The BMC renamed Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo to Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo—an outcome the group considers its greatest achievement.

“No public official or power broker would now dare dismiss it as ‘just a garden’ rather than a botanical garden. The terminology plays a crucial role in shaping perception,” shared Rustomfram. 

“The foundation’s primary mission for the last 18 years has been to safeguard the iconic Rani Bagh—a goal that we have largely achieved over a decade of advocacy. Beyond protection, we have worked to enrich and promote the space, creating theme gardens, a butterfly garden, and installing informative plaques on trees and heritage features. Our broader vision is to foster public engagement, especially among children and young people, encouraging pride and joy in this historic green space,” shares Shubhada Nikharge, founder-trustee.   

The group conducts regular free tree-cum-heritage walks in Hindi, English, Marathi, and Gujarati, arranged on mutually convenient dates. They also organise audio-visual programmes in schools, colleges, and other venues to share information about the botanical garden. They have plans to develop a tactile garden designed for the visually impaired, offering an experience of diverse textures and fragrances. 

In 2012, it published Rani Bagh 150 Years in collaboration with the National Society of the Friends of the Trees and the Bombay Natural History Society. Edited by Rustomfram and Nikharge, the book included chapters authored by them as well as experts from the fields. A year later, the foundation released a Marathi translation titled Rani Bagh 150 Varsheh. The foundation hopes to give the botanical garden the maximum protection possible in its lifetime. Its book serves as a calling card, documenting the site’s history, botanical richness, architectural heritage, and egalitarian character—all in one place. If future threats arise, the book offers a ready reference to argue for the garden’s protection.

For a larger reach, in 2020, they brought out a short documentary film in English and a year later, they followed it up with a Marathi narration. The Foundation, in collaboration with the BMC and NAGAR, launched a unique, free, interactive path-finder app designed for public learning and enjoyment. The app’s core aim is to inspire citizens to explore and take pride in their own heritage botanical garden and zoo.

“In this long struggle, we received invaluable support from professionals, heritage experts, the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee, the press, BNHS, WWF, Sanctuary Asia, NAGAR, the Indian Heritage Society, Awaaz Foundation, Dr. M.R. Almeida, Sharad Kale, Dr. Asad Rahmani and several other groups who stood with us to protect this Grade II-B heritage site,” shares Rustomfram. 

Vikas Dilawari, conservation architect, who has known of the foundation’s work for a long time, shares, “The foundation has done a phenomenal job in protecting, preserving, and conserving Rani Bagh by democratic means. The efforts that they have put in from day one till the garden got its 'botanical' tag, inadvertently giving it a special status, are commendable."