Malabar Hill reservoir reconstruction: Expert panel asks for 45 more days to submit feasibility report

Mumbai: Refurbishment of the 135-year-old water reservoir at Malabar Hill, which supplies water to south Mumbai, has run into further delay as the seven-member expert committee appointed to study the feasibility of phase-wise reconstruction has asked for a 45-day extension. The committee, comprised of academics, engineers, civic officials and local representatives, was supposed to submit its report on December 1.

Malabar Hill guardian minister and MLA M P Lodha wrote to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Tuesday, stating that the December 1 deadline was adopted during a meeting held on October 31. “But due to government holidays of various festivals in the month of November, it is pointed out that the committee is getting insufficient time to give a proper report on the relevant subject,” wrote Lodha, requested Chahal to extend the committee’s tenure by 45 days.

P Velrasu, additional municipal commissioner (projects) said a decision on the plea for extension would be taken in due course. “It is important to arrive at proper and considered decisions than hasty decisions,” he stated.

On November 7, HT reported that the BMC had constituted a seven-member committee to study the feasibility of reconstructing the Malabar Hill reservoir, including augmenting its capacity. The committee includes four experts from IIT Bombay professors A Goyal, R S Jangid, Jothi Prakash and Dasaka Murthy; two civil engineers and local representatives Dr Vasudev Nori and A Seth; local representative architect Rahul Kadri; and deputy municipal commissioner (special engineering) C H Kandalkar.

Professors Goyal and Jangid had already submitted their opinions to BMC, based on which efforts were underway to construct an alternative tank with 90 million litres per day capacity behind the current reservoir. But the work was stalled following intervention by concerned Malabar Hill residents who opposed the loss of green cover in the project.

The committee was appointed to find out if the existing reservoir can be repaired without constructing an alternative tank or affecting the water supply, and whether phase-wise reconstruction was feasible without disrupting water supply to citizens. Some estimates indicate that if the reservoir collapses due to further delays in the project, south Mumbai will face the prospect of not getting water for two-three years.