The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation formed an expert committee to suggest solutions for repairing the Malabar Hill reservoir, but the committee hasn`t met or visited the site in the past month.

The century-old reservoir, located under Phiroj Shah Mehata Udyan, also known as Hanging Garden, needs repair and expansion. To execute this, around 389 trees might need cutting, sparking strong opposition from locals who advocate for preserving Hanging Gardens. Civic chief I S Chahal assembled a committee with IIT Bombay professors Ashok Goyal, R S Jangid, Jothi Prakash and Daksha Murthy and local representatives, with a December 1, 2023 deadline for their report. However, an extension was granted after discussions led by Guardian Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha. The committee also comprised local representative architect Rahul Kadri, civil engineer Dr Vasudev Nori, and A Seth.

Speaking with mid-day, Rahul Kadri said, “I received a letter from BMC regarding my appointment to the committee. However, since then, there hasn`t been a single meeting or site visit in a month.”

Meanwhile, the BMC has decided to invite suggestions from citizens and experts. They can submit their recommendations within the next 15 days to mhriit.suggestion@gmail.com. Officials claim that these suggestions will be incorporated into the final expert report.

“The process of the committee will take another 45 days at least,” said Additional Municipal Commissioner P Velrasu.

According to a BMC official, the Malabar Hill reservoir is 137 years old and urgently needs repairs. This reservoir supplies 147 million litres of water, primarily to South Mumbai. A hanging garden has been established atop this reservoir. BMC documents propose cutting 189 trees while transplanting 200 others. Construction of the new tank will commence only after BMC obtains permission to fell the trees.

According to the documents, BMC approved the proposal in February 2022, with a project cost of R698.50 crore. The work will be carried out in phases over the next seven years and is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2029. BMC officials stated that the project aims to boost the reservoir`s capacity from 147.78 million litres to 191 million litres.

Dec 1
Deadline to submit the report

389
No. of trees that will be cut for repair work

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