Mumbai civic body to take up restoration of 15 heritage precincts in Fort

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will now take up annual restoration work on 15 prominent heritage precincts and statues in the Fort area, some of which have recently been restored

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will now take up annual restoration work on 15 prominent heritage precincts and statues in the Fort area, some of which have recently been restored. These include Flora Fountain, Fitzgerald fountain, Kothari Pyau, Baba Saheb Ambedkar statue on Madam Cama Road, the Firozshah Mehta statue on Mahapalika road, among others. Mini versions of the extensive repairs and restoration done on some of these monuments will be repeated every year. According to a senior civic official from the heritage department, this will help maintain the heritage look of the area, and avoid bigger and recurring restoration work in the long run.

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar statue near sessions court, Mumbai. (Hindustan Times)

The officer said, “We have undertaken a lot of restoration work of heritage precincts in the past few years. However, the BMC administration is not able to keep up with the maintenance of heritage precincts, or statues. It is needed to maintain a pristine look of the area, ensure tourists continue to enjoy the heritage structures, and they do not fall into disrepair over the next few years.”

BMC will hand out maintenance contracts of these precincts to contractors, and recently invited bids for this work.

Work will involve repeated restoration, maintenance of the premise, cleaning and polishing of grills and protective structures, ensure lighting, or water engineering in case of fountains is in working condition. For example, work in the case of Flora Fountain at Hutatma Chowk at Fort, which underwent extensive restoration work in 2018-19, will include conservation of the fountain with steam cleaning, minor repairs to the structure if required, and algaecide application.

The official from the heritage department said, “The Kothari Pyau was restored by BMC just a couple of years ago. But due to improper maintenance of its premises, not many people are using the fountain or noticing it even. The structures need constant care and repair.”