Repair Malabar Hill reservoir instead of demolishing it, Lodha writes to Chahal

Suburban Mumbai's guardian minister has written to the municipal commissioner asking him to amend the proposal to reconstruct the Malabar Hill reservoir. Residents are demanding that the reconstruction be scrapped and an alternative location be found. The BMC plans to construct a new water tank to meet the rising water needs, but the minister suggests utilizing other sites instead. The BMC, however, stated that there is no question of changing the plans at this stage.

Suburban Mumbai guardian minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha has written to municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal asking him to amend the proposal to reconstruct the Malabar Hill reservoir built in 1881.

Repair Malabar Hill reservoir instead of demolishing it, Lodha writes to Chahal

Lodha, echoing the sentiment of several Malabar Hill residents has suggested in his letter that the BMC should prioritize environment friendly redevelopment, emphasizing the need to the preserve trees. As per the present plant 189 trees will be axed while another 200 will be uprooted and transplanted for the restoration project. The Hanging Garden too will be out of bounds for residents for at least 5 years

Residents have been demanding that the BMC should scrap the reconstruction of the reservoir and leave Hanging Garden untouched. In the letter to Chahal, written on Tuesday, Lodha suggested that the BMC should explore an alternative location for constructing a new reservoir or repairing the current one instead of demolishing it. He also added that residents had formed a committee to address the problem of the reservoir. Through this committee, he said, they were actively seeking solutions and recommendations even though the BMC has promised to share its own report within a month about the steps they are taking to ensure there is no environmental damage to the area.

The BMC plans to construct a new water tank in place of the British-built one which will have the capacity to hold 91 million litres per day to meet the rising water need of the area. Lodha, while acknowledging the need to build new water storage suggests that the construction could take the alternative site of BMC employee quarters adjoining the Hanging Garden or utilize the space along Coastal Road. “If the Taj Mahal can be preserved, there should be no reason why the Malabar Hill reservoir, as indicated in a 2017 assessment report, cannot be restored,” he wrote in his letter.

A senior officer of BMC however said there was no question of changing the plans at this stage. “We have clearly told that the environmentalists, activists and their leaders that they must come up with alternatives which are sustainable. This is not sustainable. The solutions suggested must pass the hydraulic engineering model and this solution is just time pass. They can only delay the redevelopment, but they cannot avoid it.’’ The reservoir, he added is also badly damaged from within and needed extensive recasting.