Banganga revamp project: ‘Need asphalt road around structure’

Locals of Malabar Hill and Walkeshwar areas in south Mumbai are unhappy over some of the plans under the Banganga revamp project.

Locals of Malabar Hill and Walkeshwar areas in south Mumbai are unhappy over some of the plans under the Banganga revamp project.

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Residents have written to the local ward office of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) suggesting that an asphalt road be laid down instead of stone around the heritage structure.

Banganga, the oldest and largest surviving religious centre in the island city, will be revamped under the Maharashtra Vaibhav State Protected Monuments Adoption Scheme (MVSPMAS).

Abha Narain Lambah, the conservation architect for the project, has decided to restore the tank to its past glory while making some changes around the tank, such as additional street furniture to give the tank a heritage look. However, another proposal for the project, laying basalt stone on the roads has met with opposition from residents, who feel basalt stones on roads could lead to troubles.

“Having paver blocks in the area is not an option. Earlier, too, paver blocks were laid down, which are in a bad shape now. Many elderly have been injured,” said Rajesh Gupta, a resident of Nana Chowk, who was present at the protest.

Ashish Tiwari, another resident, said, “After having consulted a few people in the BMC, we realised that if we face any problems, such as blockage in the drainage lines or a disrupted phone connection, we will require permission from the heritage department, which will be a tedious process.”

On being asked about the concerns of locals, Prashant Gaikwad, additional municipal commissioner, said, “We will first create a small patch for demonstration, which should be complete by today. Post which, suggestions and objections from the residents would be taken into consideration.”

Meanwhile, trustees of the Goud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) trust, which manages the site, have also expressed their opposition. They said that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the archaeology department and RPG foundation without the ‘permission of owners of property’.

However, officials from the state and civic body said all the stakeholders involved in the plan have been consulted and the work would progress keeping everyone’s concerns in mind.