Malabar Hill Reservoir repairs feasible without new tank, says IIT Roorkee

IIT Roorkee confirms repairs on Mumbai's 137-year-old Malabar Hill reservoir are feasible without a new tank, but will be complex and costly.

Mumbai: Repairs on the 137-year-old Malabar Hill reservoir is feasible without constructing a new 35 MLD (million litres per day) alternative tank, according to preliminary findings from IIT Roorkee conveyed to the BMC last week.

Malabar Hill Reservoir repairs feasible without new tank, says IIT Roorkee

The IIT Roorkee team had been tasked with assessing whether the reservoir could be repaired without the need for an additional tank, and how the water supply could be managed during the process.

Abhijeet Bangar, additional municipal commissioner (projects), explained that Pednekar Consultants had prepared a report, which was shared with IIT Roorkee for evaluation. Initially, the plan involved building a 35 MLD tank.

However, after consultations with civil society members and senior structural engineers, a new approach was proposed: isolating one sub-compartment of the reservoir at a time to carry out repairs. IIT Roorkee confirmed that while technically feasible, this method would be complex and expensive as the design would be intricate.

“IIT Roorkee has indicated that this proposal is technically viable at first glance. They will further investigate and provide the necessary drawings. Once we receive these, we will estimate the costs and assess the overall feasibility.Our goal is to avoid cutting any trees and to minimize environmental damage,” Bangar added.

The original plan involved constructing a 35 MLD tank, allowing two sub-compartments of the reservoir to be isolated for repairs while keeping the other three compartments in use for water supply. Later, the remaining three compartments would be isolated for further repairs while two would be in use.

A civic official stressed that the primary objective is to complete the repairs without the need for an alternative tank. While IIT Roorkee has confirmed that this is technically possible, the main challenge will be ensuring that the repairs can proceed without disrupting the existing water supply. Other factors, such as the impact on pumping activity and the structural integrity of the tank, also need to be addressed.

Despite the technical feasibility of the proposal, the official pointed out that its economic viability remains a concern. The hydraulic department will also provide details on water requirements across different areas.

According to a civic source, building a new tank could cost the BMC up to ₹100 crore. The IIT Roorkee team had earlier recommended constructing a 52 MLD alternative tank to ensure uninterrupted water supply during the reservoir’s repair work but that would lead to veritable loss of green cover on a plot adjoining Hanging Gardens.