Suspend new reservoir work, Lodha tells CM Shinde; Malabar Hill residents to chalk out alternative

“BMC should also find an alternate place for the proposed new reservoir,” the letter reads. Furthermore, the Guardian Minister has demanded the withdrawal of eviction notices issued to people living on the premises where the new reservoir has been proposed.

Meanwhile, on the heels of the meeting convened by Lodha and senior civic officials on Tuesday, residents and activists have scheduled another gathering on Sunday in a bid to register their opposition to BMC’s plan to construct a new water reservoir at Malabar Hill by demolishing the existing one, which was built in 1887.

Dr Nilesh Baxi, a Tardeo resident, said, “Our meeting on Sunday is open to every citizen of Mumbai with the aim of raising awareness on the issue. Now that we are empowered to suggest alternatives, we will also decide our plans during the meeting.”

Following a meeting convened on Tuesday, BMC has now invited residents to nominate members who will be inducted in a steering committee to work in coordination with BMC, and chalk out alternative measures to the proposed plan. Responding to questions from The Indian Express, Baxi said, “We have formed an 11-member committee but are still ironing out details. Even though the panel exists, we will need more people with subject expertise who will be inducted in the advisory board.”

“Considering the environmental issue raised in public sentiment, the municipal administration is expected to cooperate till the next appropriate decision is taken based on the report of the constituted committee”, the Guardian minister said while writing to the CM.

While BMC has put on hold the plan to rebuild the reservoir amid rising opposition, reports furnished by the civic body reflect that Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has recommended constructing a new water supply facility to maintain uninterrupted water supply. “The existing reservoir was examined by expert divers to assess the condition for demolition in phases. The report was examined by three external independent expert agencies – namely IIT Bombay, VJTI and the empaneled consultant. All three agencies suggested constructing alternate facilities with adequate capacity to maintain uninterrupted supply prior to any demolition of existing reservoirs,” BMC’s report stated.

The Malabar Hill reservoir is one of the first artificial water reservoirs built to meet regular water requirements of the island city. The reservoir is located beneath Kamala Nehru Park (Hanging Gardens) situated at Malabar Hill, and has a capacity to supply 150 million litres per day (MLD). Malabar Hill is one of the highest locations of Mumbai, and the idea of building the reservoir at an elevated height was to augment the force of water through natural gravitational force.