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Concerned over loss of green cover, Malabar Hill residents want reservoir to move
The hearing, conducted by Jitendra Pardeshi, superintendent of gardens, was mainly attended by women from Voice of Malabar Hill, a citizens’ group. They expressed major concerns about protecting the existing rain trees on the adjoining plots where trees are earmarked for hacking with notices
Mumbai: The public hearing on cutting down 189 trees for the construction of a tank behind Hanging Garden, one of the city’s iconic tourist spots, for the Malabar Hill reservoir reconstruction project was conducted Thursday.
The hearing, conducted by Jitendra Pardeshi, superintendent of gardens, was mainly attended by women from Voice of Malabar Hill, a citizens’ group. They expressed major concerns about protecting the existing rain trees on the adjoining plots where trees are earmarked for hacking with notices.
Of the 389 trees earmarked on the plot, 189 will be hacked and 200 trees will be transplanted. The plot has a huge variety of trees, among them jackfruit, junglee badam, mango, akash neem, kailashpati, jamoon, chafa, Ashoka, neem, coconut, kadipatta, amla, chikoo, reetha and many more. Botanists have surveyed the garden and estimated where a few Ashoka, jackfruit and shevga trees can be retained, depending on their size.
“There will be a site survey with residents on Friday to try and save a few rain trees. They suggested the reservoir should be shifted to Mahalaxmi Racecourse or Banganga. But we conveyed that it is technically not possible,” said a civic official who attended the hearing.
Activist Zoru Bhathena, crusading for the protection of green cover in the city had sent his written objections to the BMCs garden department.
Bhathena stated that all the plots where 189 trees will be felled, falls in Green Zone (existing open space RG) as per the Development Plan of Mumbai DP-2034.
These green plots also fall under Coastal Regulation Zone(CRZ)-II and therefore no development is permissible. Furthermore, he stated that no work could be done on such plots without prior CRZ approval.
“Despite our best search, we cannot locate any such approvals or recommendations on the MCZMA (Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority) website which leads us to believe that there are none,” Bhathena said.
Bhathena also stated that no construction activity nor major repairs are permitted anywhere in Mumbai without prior
approval of BMC’s building department.
“It does fall under CRZ -II. We have put forth a proposal and will seek NOC only after we start construction work of the alternate tank on the adjoining plot. There is a proposal to seek NOC from MCZMA. Since we have yet not carried out constructions, we will seek approval from the building proposal department only after we reach that stage. We cannot commence work without these crucial NOCs,” countered a civic official from BMCs waterworks department overseeing the project.
Since the water reservoir is situated directly above the coastal road tunnel, the civic official said NOC from the Coastal Road Department, which has also conducted a detailed feasibility study, has been sought.
Bhathena further stated that the existing water reservoir admeasures a surface area of approx. 22,000 sq metres. But the tree removal notices are affixed on the adjoining plots admeasuring another approx 22,000 Sq metres.
“We are unable to comprehend why 22,000 sq metres of additional tree cover is required to be removed to repair an existing 22,000 sq metre water tank? It thus appears that something else is planned, besides repairing a water tank. And these additional plans must be disclosed on your BMC portal along with public notice,” Bhathena stated.
The civic official from the waterworks department responded that a 90 MLD alternate tank will be constructed on the adjoining plot first and water supply will be diverted to this alternative tank.
“We cannot touch the existing 22,000 sq meter reservoir. It will collapse and hence we have to construct alternate tanks in phases and divert the water supply in phases,” said the civic official.
Malabar Hill has 240 MLD requirement of water and the current reservoir has 147 MLD capacity.
The BMCs waterworks department has decided to augment the water supply from 149 MLD to 191 MLD to augment water supply to south Mumbai.The reservoir at present supplies water primarily to A and D wards comprising areas like Nariman Point, Cuffe Parade, Churchgate, Colaba, Girgaon, Nepeansea road and the entire Malabar Hill area.
