Assembly Speaker and BJP Colaba MLA Rahul Narwekar hosted an open house for city dwellers on March 20 to discuss the two concerns surrounding the renovation of the Mahalaxmi racecourse and the Malabar Hill reservoir, in light of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Malabar Hill Reservoir:
The destiny of the Malabar Hill reservoir and changes to the Mahalaxmi racetrack were causing resentment among residents. Narwekar insisted that no work would be done at either location without first having an appropriate dialogue with the stakeholders and locals.
Rahul Narwekar said there is a heritage value in the hanging gardens and the Malabar Hill reservoir. Any changes made to the current tank buildings will have an impact on the city's cultural and historical values, in addition to the topography of the area. The tank represents the inclusivity of the city. As a result, the authorities won't handle the situation in a vacuum, and any choices on the tank going forward will be decided after consulting with all relevant parties, including the locals.
A report submitted two weeks ago by an expert committee made up of professors from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT) stated that a phased repair of the tank would not be possible. This contradicted the findings of a previous report by a different committee constituted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which listed numerous measures related to maintaining the current tank in its current condition and suggested measures for carrying out the needed repair works.
Regarding the project that is now on hold, Narwekar stated that they will also review the conflicting findings that the IIT committee and the expert committee established by the BMC have given.
The BMC is currently requesting the assistance of an IIT from a different state after obtaining conflicting assessments on the Malabar Hill reservoir from two expert teams. An official from the municipality stated that the reports will be sent by letter to IIT Madras, Delhi, or Kanpur. One of these institutes will make decisions regarding the Malabar Hill Reservoir.
The official emphasised the need for expert input by noting that it can be fixed, according to one team of specialists, one of whom is an architect. After repairs, if in five to ten years there is a reservoir burst and there is a six-month water shortage in south Mumbai, people would file a police complaint. Thus, in order to get the ultimate say on whether to rebuild or fix the reservoir, the authorities shall enlist the help of IIT specialists who are not from Mumbai, the official stated.
Mahalaxmi Racecourse:
In the meantime, Narwekar allayed worries over the Mahalaxmi racecourse by stating that no pipelined improvements will alter the type of activities conducted there.
He said that a park shouldn't be prioritised over a racecourse. When the development work is done, it will be up to the BMC to take steps to ensure that the racecourse's current character remains intact. Additionally, if any development work is anticipated, it will be done after consulting with all relevant parties, such as walkers, joggers, stable owners, etc.
The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC), the parent organisation that oversees the racecourse, approved the civic body's proposal regarding the transformation of the area. Mahalaxmi Racecourse, one of the biggest open spaces in the city, is in for a long haul as the BMC plans to turn a sizable portion of it into a Central Park.
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