With striking clocks on each of its four faces, the tower was inaugurated early Monday morning by Mayor Dr Shubha Raul. And better still, Raul has promised citizens another 10 clock-towers—the next one being in Shivaji Park.

Constructed by the Green Garden group of industrialists and traders, the idea was the brainchild of the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Nicaragua, Paresh Mehta. “There were two clocks earlier — one a digital clock at the entrance of the garden and a regular one near the additional municipal commissioner’s bungalow. But both have been non-functional over the years. We therefore decided to install clocks and came up with the idea of a clock-tower,’’ says Mehta, a regular walker himself.

Hanging Gardens, or the Pherozeshah Mehta garden, always had a tower, but it was “shabby and tilted” according to Mehta. “There was also a provision of installing the clock on the tower, however that had never happened,’’ he added.

After following up the matter with the civic body for five years, the Green Garden group of 30 businessmen and traders from Malabar Hill finally received the nod late last year. The clock tower was constructed at a cost of Rs 3.5 lakh over the last 45 days, right at the centre of Hanging Gardens.

While Raul and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray — he was also present at the occasion — are backing the idea of a similar clock-another at Shivaji Park, Raul also wants the idea replicated in other parks widely used by people. “Clock-towers like these will be an important guide in a Mumbaikar’s life and they are of utmost importance,” she said.

After the clock-towers, the next plan for Hanging Gardens is a public announcement system to be installed by the group.