Repairs or reconstruction, 7-member panel will have the final say: Chahal

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner has warned that the experts responsible for deciding whether the 135-year-old Malabar Hill reservoir in Mumbai needs reconstruction or repairs will be held accountable if it collapses. The decision will be made by a committee comprising professors from IIT Bombay and independent engineers. If the reservoir collapses, south Mumbai could be without water for two to three years. The committee's decision will be final.

Tag: Malabar Hill reservoir

Repairs or reconstruction, 7-member panel will have the final say: Chahal

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Strap: If the old reservoir collapses due to experts’ decision, they will be held accountable, says civic chief

The seven-member committee will take the final call if the 135-year-old Malabar Hill reservoir needs reconstruction or repairs, and in the event of any untoward incident resulting from the outcome of their decision they will be held responsible, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal has said.

On Wednesday, the civic body announced the constitution of the committee that comprised professors Ashok Goyal, RS Jangid, Jothi Prakash and Dasaka Murthy from IIT Bombay, local representative architect Rahul Kadri, independent structural engineers Alp Seth and Vasudev Nori, and deputy municipal commissioner (special engineering) C H Kandalkar.

Chahal told HT that the precarious condition of the reservoir below the iconic Hanging Gardens had been conveyed to the committee.

“We have told the committee that if something happens to the reservoir and there is a disaster, then the entire south Bombay will not get water. Tomorrow, we cannot say that two private standalone experts came, and we went by their advice and hence, we stopped the reconstruction of the new reservoir. Now, we have this proper committee which comprises experts. If it recommends that an alternative tank is not required and if there is a disaster, the committee will be held responsible,” the civic chief said.

This committee has 50% representation from the most eminent technical institute in the country, he said. “We will wholly depend on their report.”

By an estimate, if the reservoir collapses south Mumbai will face the prospect of not getting water for two-three years.

Commenting on how this new committee was set up, Chahal said a few citizens along with Seth and Nori, who lived in the area, had approached him about this contentious issue.

“They said there were two issues - repairs of the old reservoir ie. 180MLD (million litres per day) and construction of a 90MLD tank as a back-up. The two experts had come with Sucheta Dalal who said they had been structural engineers for the last 30 years and had been advising the Central government. They said instead of reconstructing it the reservoir could be permanently repaired for long-lasting results. I told them we were not experts and these citizens had anyway no trust in BMC,” Chahal said.

Chahal then suggested forming a committee with three IIT-B professors on board. “They then said BMC would get their own people. So, I instead suggested that I write a letter to Subhasis Chaudhuri, director, IIT Bombay, to select three experts without BMC recommending any names.”

Chahal said he had to appoint this new committee based on the two independent structural engineers’ claim that the reservoir could be repaired. “This is the last committee formed with these six experts and a member from BMC. We cannot go beyond this. If this committee says we need to build a new reservoir, we will have to build a new one. If they suggest repairing the existing one, we will do that as well.”

When asked about the cost factor in appointing these experts, Chahal said, “This is a larger issue concerning a population of 20 lakh. Here, their decision is more important than the cost.”