Malabar Hill Reservoir Requires Reparation Not Reconstruction: Experts

The committee appointed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) ruled out the demolition of Malabar Hill Reservoir for reconstruction. The panel suggested only minor repairs for the 130-year-old structure.

On January 8, the seven-member committee submitted an interim report to the BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal. A final report on this matter is expected to be released soon.

A panel expert stated that the interim report exclusively discusses functional repairs, which are primarily non-structural. This is a unanimous decision, and no demolition is necessary. A civic official said that the report stated that there is no urgency for the repairs. Repair work can be planned over time so that there is a minimum disturbance caused in the water supply to South Mumbai. They may not even need a spare tank for this work.

The report reads: One of Mumbai's most significant historical resources is this reservoir. The reservoir's current state is safe and stable enough to allow for the meticulous planning and execution of minor repairs over an extended period. A BMC official said if a study of the hydraulics is necessary at all, maybe a temporary tank could be built to make sure the water supply is not impacted as the structure is fixed piece by piece. The repairs are only superficial.

The reservoir needed to be repaired because it was in a weakened state, according to a 2017 structural audit conducted by DD Kulkarni, a private structural expert hired by BMC. Later on, citing the reservoir's precariousness, a number of structural engineers, notably those from IIT Bombay, suggested that it be demolished all at once.

In November 2023, the BMC constituted a seven-member committee to take a call about the demolition of the reservoir. The committee’s job was to submit a report on various feasibility aspects involved in the Malabar Hill reservoir reconstruction project.

The panel consisted of:

• Four members from IIT Bombay - professors Alok Goyal, R S Jangid, Jothi Prakash, and Dasaka Murthy,

• Two civil engineers - Vasudev Noori and A. Seth,

• A local representative and architect Rahul Kadri,

• Deputy municipal commissioner (special engineering), CH Kandalkar.

In October 2023, the Guardian Minister of Mumbai City, Deepak Kesarkar, investigated the feasibility of rebuilding the Malabar Hill reservoir without affecting the Hanging Gardens. He was thinking of building an above reservoir on a single column and has asked Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for help.

Deepak Kesarkar said that two things need to be taken seriously. One is building a reservoir to house the 91MLD tank, and the second is the reconstruction of the Malabar Hill reservoir. Subterranean in nature, the Malabar Hill reservoir dates back 130 years. Therefore, if it is technically possible and approved by IIT Bombay, we can investigate building the above reservoir on a single column. We must strike a careful balance between enhancing the facilities and protecting Mumbai's natural beauty.