Mumbai: Nearly two years after IIT-Roorkee found that the Malabar Hill reservoir (MHR) could be repaired, the BMC is seeking the institute’s review of plans for a new reservoir at an adjoining site. The proposal was approved by the BMC Standing Committee on Wednesday.
Institute To Examine Structural Plans For ₹22 Lakh Fee
Under the proposal, IIT-Roorkee will independently review the structural designs, plans and related documents prepared by the civic body’s project consultant, Pednekar Associates. The BMC will pay the institute Rs. 22 lakh in professional fees.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Vipin Sharma said the revised approach has significantly reduced the number of trees proposed to be felled. While the original reconstruction plan required 389 trees to be cut, the number has now been reduced to 82, with 307 trees to be saved.
Existing Reservoir Can Be Repaired, Says Assessment
According to Sharma, the reduction follows IIT-Roorkee’s assessment that the existing reservoir can be repaired rather than demolished and rebuilt, limiting the project’s impact on trees. However, the institute has also suggested an alternative tank, noting that repairs to the existing reservoir cannot be undertaken while water-supply operations continue.
The BMC’s earlier proposal to demolish and reconstruct the MHR had faced opposition from local residents and activists over concerns about tree loss. To minimise the impact, the civic body subsequently explored alternative designs with IIT-Roorkee and proposed a three-tier, 52-million-litre reservoir on the western side of the existing one. The proposed site currently houses staff quarters and a pumping station.
The BMC will now appoint IIT-Roorkee to review the proposed designs, citing the technical complexity of the project. Constructed in 1887, the MHR currently supplies water to various parts of south Mumbai through 19 distribution systems. It was originally built with three compartments—1A, 1B and 2A—and expanded in 1907 with two additional compartments, 1C and 2B. The reservoir was converted into a storage reservoir in 1916.
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