Objections by people to the Project.
The Pherozeshah Mehta Garden (Hanging Garden), is one of Mumbai’s most famous and well-loved public spaces, holding enormous significance for citizens of all ages and across economic classes. The proposed BMC plan to reconstruct the Malabar Hill water reservoir (MHR) has been making news since the past two months. The trees of the Hanging Garden and its adjoining woods, many of which, are over a 100 years old, are the major attractions of the locality; however, due to the proposed BMC project, the garden will be dug up and the entire area will be closed to the public, for five to six years. This article intends to address the concerns of citizens about the project.
In the first week of September 2023, visitors to the Hanging Garden as well as residents, saw tree removal notices pasted on the trees, in and around the garden and Shantivan. The notices invited objections from citizens to the BMC proposal. They mentioned that 389 trees would be lost due to the project. 189 trees were marked for cutting while 200 would be transplanted (out of the total 906 trees, inside and outside the garden), for the MHR reconstruction project. Consequently, a public hearing was held at the Superintendent of Garden’s office on 14 September 2023, in which residents objected to the cutting of the trees. They were informed by the BMC officials that a contractor had been appointed, and the work order for the project was already issued.
In a letter dated, 25 September 2023, locals and concerned citizens requested the BMC to furnish them details regarding the proposed reconstruction. It also mentioned that no consultation had been held by the BMC before the project plans were finalised.
On 26 September 2023, a public meeting was held at the BMC headquarters and conducted by the local MLA & Guardian Minister (Mumbai Suburban), Shri Mangal Prabhat Lodha. In the meeting, local residents and concerned citizens of Mumbai, voiced their objections to the cutting of the trees. BMC officials presented a slide show of the proposed plan for reconstruction of the MHR which showed: A structural audit report of 2017, had recommended the reconstruction of the reservoir on account of wear and tear. The report had been examined by three external independent expert agencies namely, IIT Bombay, VJTI, and an empaneled consultant. All the three agencies had suggested construction of an alternate facility of enough capacity, to maintain uninterrupted water supply prior to demolition of the existing structure. Being an old masonry construction, reconstruction in a phased manner is not feasible, considering the chances of sequential collapse of the arch roof, and thereby, disruption of water supply to South Mumbai.
In a follow-up letter to the BMC, dated 9 October 2023, residents, referring to the structural audit report said, no technical investigations had been carried out to repair and preserve this iconic water reservoir. The structural audit report was based upon just a one-day inspection on 7 July 2017. The letter further mentioned, “Nowhere does the report state that the existing reservoir is in dangerous or dilapidated condition. Nowhere does it say that the floor or the holding walls of the reservoir are weak”. Among many other points lastly, the letter says, “we call upon MCGM to carry out a re-audit of the entire Malabar Hill reservoir through competent structural auditors, having knowledge about such century-old heritage structures. i.e. through those who have the expertise on how to repair and preserve such iconic structures”.
In an open letter dated 23 October 2023, three eminent civil engineers – Shirish B Patel, Alpa Sheth and Dr Vasudev V Nori wrote to I. S. Chahal, Municipal Commissioner. It said:
Dear Mr. Chahal,
In mid-2019 the MCGM’s Civil Engineering (Bridges) department declared 29 bridges in the city unsafe, calling for demolition and reconstruction. Ms Sucheta Dalal and Mr Sanjay Nirupam took the initiative and were able to persuade the then Municipal Commissioner Mr Praveen Pardeshi to set up a Citizens’ Technical Advisory Committee of prominent civil engineers to review MCGM’s list of unsound bridges and confirm that they did indeed call for reconstruction.
The Committee consisted of: Mr Shirish Patel, Chairman, Ms Alpa Sheth, Dr V V Nori, a faculty member from VJTI, a faculty member from IIT, Chief Engineer (Bridges), Member Secretary.
Their respective credentials can be viewed at spacpl.com and vakilmehtasheth.com
The Committee found that most of the bridges slated for demolition and reconstruction were in satisfactory condition, requiring nothing much beyond maintenance and minor repairs. The call for their demolition and reconstruction was not based on a reliable engineering assessment but based on spending money on new construction. The Committee found a clear nexus between MCGM’s Chief Engineer and the Professor at one of the academic institutions advising (unnecessary) demolition.
The proposed Malabar Hill Reservoir reconstruction is an exact parallel to the proposals for demolishing perfectly sound bridges four years ago.
So:
We believe that the existing reservoir can be repaired. One of us visited it not many years ago, going inside, and found it in good shape. No structure could degrade so rapidly thereafter into becoming beyond repair. Further, both Prof Jangid and Prof Bambole have confirmed that the MHR can be repaired.
There does not appear to be any underpinning rationale for desiring to increase MHR capacity. Increasing reservoir capacity does not add to water supply. Only pipelines do. All the reservoir does is provide balancing capacity, the difference over a few hours between the rate of supply and the rate of drawdown. We believe this may have been missed out by the decision making authority.
The population of the Island City has declined between the last two Censuses. How does a declining population justify increased balancing capacity?
The proposal for a new reservoir is a fraud being perpetrated on Mumbai’s citizens, particularly those living on Malabar Hill and in its environs.
We trust you will stop this project in the interest of citizens, even if doing that goes against the particular interests of your Chief Engineer.
Yours sincerely,
Shirish B Patel, Alpa Sheth and Dr Vasudev V Nori.
In a public meeting held on 31 October 2023, by Shri Mangal Prabhat Lodha, in the presence of the Municipal Commissioner and BMC officials, it was decided to constitute a committee of experts. This panel includes four experts from IIT Bombay – professors Ashok Goyal, R.S. Jangid, Jothi Prakash and Dasaka Murthy, architect and local group representative, Rahul Kadri, two civil engineers and local representatives, Dr Vasudev Nori and Alpa Sheth, and deputy municipal commissioner (special engineering), C.H. Kandalkar. Suggestions are also invited from the public and experts within a month.
The public is now eagerly awaiting the findings from the committee.
~ Editorial Committee of ‘The Voice of Malabar Hills’.
(N.B. We thank Mr Zoru Bhathena for sharing all the reports with us. In case, any resident or citizen wants to study them and/or the complaint letters, they are welcome to send an email asking for the same, to themalabarhills@gmail.com
