Mumbai: A ravine of variable depth will run along the periphery of the proposed underground stadium and parking facility beneath the Mahalaxmi Racecourse to prevent flooding, architects designing the proposed facility told the South Mumbai Residents’ Association on Sunday.
Referred to as “ravine curated water treatment”, the system will function like an organised water catchment in one of Mumbai’s most vulnerable low-lying zones, Mubashir Jabir, a member of the Hafeez Contractor-led design team said during the citizens’ dialogue, organised by Shiv Sena leader Susieben Shah.
“Ravine is a curated treatment of water catchment…If the catchment depth is more from the north side and from the south there’s less waterlogging, then the ravine is designed in such a way that it works like an organised water catchment,” Jabir said. “The ravine system will run all around the underground stadium.”
The underground stadium and parking facility is part of the larger proposal for a makeover of the racecourse at Mahalaxmi. It includes a landscaped garden, racing track and clubhouse spread across 120 acres overground. Civic officials claim that the character of the racecourse will remain largely open and green.
The plan has run into strong opposition from the Mumbai Architects Collective, comprising more than 100 prominent architects and urban planners. As reported by HT on February 21, the Collective has warned the BMC that the revamp could weaken the city’s flood resilience.
{{/usCountry}}The plan has run into strong opposition from the Mumbai Architects Collective, comprising more than 100 prominent architects and urban planners. As reported by HT on February 21, the Collective has warned the BMC that the revamp could weaken the city’s flood resilience.
{{/usCountry}}MAC, in a letter to the civic body, said the open grounds around the racecourse act as a natural holding pond during heavy rainfall and high tide, enabling stormwater from surrounding areas such as Mahalaxmi and Parel to collect and gradually percolate into the soil. Transforming significant portions of this permeable land into underground, waterproof structures could reduce the site’s natural absorption capacity and undermine Mumbai’s climate resilience, they warned.
Responding to these concerns, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani emphasised that the makeover project was far from final.
“Whatever new amenities we are planning in the basement have not been finalised. The project is still at the conceptual stage,” Gargani told HT, assuring the sports facility would not impact on storm water drainage.
“We will study the feasibility, drainage system and all other necessary attributes,” he said.