Mumbai: IIT Roorkee Recommends 52 ML Alternative Tank Amid Malabar Hill Reservoir Repairs; Residents Allege BMC Provided Inaccurate Data

Mumbai: The expert team from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has recommended constructing an alternative tank with a capacity of over 52 million litres (ML) while repairs to the Malabar Hill Reservoir (MHR) are underway. However, local residents have alleged that the BMC provided inaccurate data to the institute, leading to a potentially misleading report.

The IIT-R report highlights that the total usable storage capacity of tanks 1A, 1B, and 1C is 35.5 million liters (ML), while tanks 2A and 2B together hold 39 ML, bringing the overall capacity to 74.5 ML. The experts have recommended constructing an additional tank with a capacity of 52.4 ML. In response, local residents and activists have submitted a letter to Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, voicing their objections to the report.

"The overall holding capacity of the MHR is 147.78 ML, but it is never filled beyond 80 ML due to insufficient water inflow," said environmental activist Zoru Bathena. "Since 2017, the BMC has been determined to destroy the magnificent reservoir and the heritage Hanging Garden Precinct under various false pretexts. The conclusions drawn by IIT-R contain errors that could only have arisen if the BMC provided inaccurate information," stated the residents in the draft sent to the civic chief.

The residents also noted, "According to records, the reservoir has undergone extensive repairs in the past, including the uniting of columns and walls and RCC jacketing on the roof. It appears that the BMC may have intentionally withheld information from IIT-R about these significant repairs, none of which required the construction of an additional storage tank. Furthermore, the report does not address why the individual compartments cannot be repaired sequentially, despite it being entirely feasible."

Meanwhile, the civic official stated that they are evaluating the possibility of reducing the size of the alternative tank, as it may not be necessary once the repairs are completed