Size of Hanging Garden to grow after Malabar Hill reservoir reconstruction

This is the same contentious plot where a water tank with a capacity to hold 91MLD (million litres per day) will be constructed for which 189 trees will be felled and 200 trees will be transplanted. Citizens are up in arms against this loss of green cover

If the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Malabar Hill reservoir reconstruction project goes as per its plan, citizens can expect, after five years, a bigger Hanging Garden with a viewing gallery on the plot behind it. The reservoir is underneath the iconic garden.

Malabar Hill reservoir is underneath the iconic Hanging Garden.

This is the same contentious plot where a water tank with a capacity to hold 91MLD (million litres per day) will be constructed for which 189 trees will be felled and 200 trees will be transplanted. Citizens are up in arms against this loss of green cover.

A civic official handling the project said, “The remaining area of the plot will be converted into a garden with a gallery to view Priyadarshani Park and the coastline.”

Explaining the details, the official said the total size of the plot is 6,800 square metres of which 4,000 to 4,500 square metres will be used for the tank. “While the gallery will come up on 500 square metres the remaining area will be converted into a garden.”

There is also a probability of connecting this adjacent plot to Hanging Garden.

The civic official further said it will take two years to construct the new tank. “That means Hanging Garden will be shut after two years.”

Only after the new tank is constructed will the old reservoir be demolished in one go as recommended by experts. “The iconic garden will be out of bounds to the public for three years as it will take that much time to rebuild the reservoir. In a worst-case scenario, it will take four years,” the official said.

Civic officials said the tank will be 12-14 metres underground and 6-8 metres overground. Once the new reservoir is complete, BMC’s water supply department has planned to augment the water supply from 149MLD to 191MLD.

The 130-year-old Malabar Hill reservoir supplies water primarily to A and D wards in south Mumbai which comprise areas such as Nariman Point, Cuffe Parade, Churchgate, Colaba, Girgaon, Nepeansea Road and Malabar Hill.