BMC to construct ₹2.5 cr wall for Ram Kund rejuvenation at Banganga

The BMC has approved the construction of a ₹2.5-crore gabion/bund wall towards the seashore as part of the Ram Kund tank rejuvenation at Banganga to prevent the influx of sea water and debris. Additionally, a gate valve will be installed to regulate the water flow within the tank

MUMBAI: The BMC has approved the construction of a ₹2.5-crore gabion/bund wall towards the seashore as part of the Ram Kund tank rejuvenation at Banganga to prevent the influx of sea water and debris. Additionally, a gate valve will be installed to regulate the water flow within the tank.

BMC to construct ₹2.5 cr wall for Ram Kund rejuvenation at Banganga

The revival of the Ram Kund is being done with the aim of preventing devotees and pilgrims from conducting the ash-immersion ceremony, Asti Visarjan, at the Banganga tank. “Earlier, sweet water used to come in from an inlet called the gaumukh at Ram Kund but it is currently choked with debris,” said Ashish Tewari, a local resident of Banganga who is part of the Banganga Citizens’ Committee. “The water then enters a well where Asti Visarjans used to originally take place.”

Tewari suggested at a Citizens Committee meeting with the BMC recently that ashes be immersed in Ram Kund Nagar once again, as the tank had been desilted. “The BMC has assured us that the bund wall will prevent debris from entering Ram Kund,” he said.

A civic official from D ward said that right now sea water was flowing into the Ram Kund, leading to the accumulation of garbage during high tide and low tide. “Thus, isolating the structure by means of a bund wall is very necessary,” he said. “The work will be undertaken by the state government.”

The heritage restoration work for Banganga Tank has already begun, with the project assigned to a heritage-empanelled vendor. Sharad Ughade, assistant commissioner of D ward, further elaborated on the developments, providing a comprehensive update on the progress of various initiatives declared in the minutes of the meeting held on December 5.

The tender process for appointing a contractor for desilting work has been completed by D Ward and a purchase order will soon be issued. The desilting work will commence under the guidance and coordination of the Archaeological Survey of India and the project management consultant, ensuring proper execution and compliance with all regulations.

A tender has also been floated for the heritage rejuvenation project of Banganga Tank and its surrounding precinct area, and the process will be concluded within the next couple of days.

The office has sent a letter to the director and assistant director of state archaeology, along with a drawing, to seek their approval for the installation of a gate valve at Banganga. Once the approval is obtained, the tender will be floated in accordance with their guidelines or any additional suggestions they may provide.

During the execution of the works, an architect or supervisory personnel will be appointed in coordination with a project management consultant to oversee the progress and ensure the quality of work. Since Banganga is a heritage site, only heritage-empanelled vendors will be considered for related work. For non-heritage projects, local residents will be actively involved in the monitoring and suggestion process to ensure that the work meets the needs of the community and the users of the site.

Additionally, repairs for another toilet will commence shortly, and a changing room will be provided on site, as per the suggestions of the residents. The idea of composting flowers at a hawker-encroached area was also proposed by the members at the meeting with the BMC.