TIME SEEMS to freeze at this green patch near the Versova beach in Andheri (West).

Sit on a bench, breathe in the cool sea breeze and happily eavesdrop on the chitchat of senior citizens gathered in the NanaNani Park, surprisingly located in the bustling, noisy Andheri suburb.

Once a dumping ground, which also housed over 100 shanties and a dhobi ghat, residents transformed the 600metre stretch into a beautiful park.

"My day is not complete without visiting this garden. I feel a sense of calm amongst the greenery and these happy people," said Matilda D'Souza (60), who lives in Meera Building, a stone's throw away from the park.

"My doctor has advised me to take long walks but, living in a place like Andheri, I could not dream of going for a walk without the fear of being run over. Then the Nana-Nani Park came up - a blessing," D'Souza added.

Despite its name, the park is not just reserved for senior citizens to meet and chat up but it is also the where health-conscious youngsters head to work out. It also attracts its share of youngsters and television celebrities.

"Every day I come here, put on my earphones and jog to burn the fat," said Mayura Joshi (20), a second year Commerce student who lives nearby .

Frustrated with the stink emitting from the heaps of garbage, in 1989, members of the Save Versova Beach Association decided to take action and save their area.

They spent about Rs 10,000 to prepare a beautification plan and submitted it to the civic body. However, they were told that the plan was stuck somewhere between the ward office and the civic headquarters.

But they did not give up.

They decided to keep the area garbage- and encroacher-free till how ever long it took for their plan to be passed.

Despite encroachments in other parts of Versova, this plot of land remained vacant largely due to the efforts of 79-year-old Dhun Talati. Having lived at Seven Bungalows all her life, Talati kept a strict vigil over land-grabbers.

The 180-ft-long stretch - that connects Juhu and Versova - was ignored by the civic body because of a slope that made it difficult to build a road there.

So, the residents decided to convert the area into a park.

"Earlier there were more than 100 huts and a dhobi ghat on this land. It was because of the sustained efforts of then state cultural minister Pramod Navalkar and residents of Seven Bungalows that funds were collected and the garden made," said Rahul Brar, member of the Save Versova Beach Association.

After the plan was passed in 1990, the Nana-Nani Park was readied in nine years.

"Navalkar had named the garden the Nana-Nani Park. The plants were brought from Royal Palms and benches funded by Navalkar. The park was inaugurated by star couple Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan in 1999," said Brar.

URL: http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/artMailDisp.aspx?article=02_04_2008_007_002&typ=0&pub=264