The 125-year-old Mahatma Phule Mandai will soon get a fresh lease of life as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is set to undertake a major renovation work in the market. The mandai,which is located in the heart of the city,would see extensive work on its roof. Sham Dhawale,executive engineer incharge of the heritage cell of the PMC,said the scheduled work is likely to cost more than Rs 1 crore. The structure has faced ravages of time and needs urgent repairs. The roof is weak and we need urgent repairs, he said. Located near the Tulshibaug area of Pune,this octagonal building houses more than 1,000 stalls of fruits and vegetables. Constructed in 1882,the market was inaugurated by Lord Reay,the then governor general of Bombay province. The market back in those days was known as Reay market. True to other colonial structures of that time,this octagonal market is made of stone and wood. The roof of the market is laid with tiles,which at many places require changing. Gazette records dating back to late 19th century,talk about how the British officers had to force traders to run their business in the stalls instead of ferrying their business on the road. Dhawale,while speaking about the proposed repair,said that the roof would be the first portion to be taken up for repair. Given the precarious condition of the structure,special structures like catwalks have to be built. We will take up the work to strengthen the wooden structures in the market, he said. At present,the study to determine the various weaknesses plaguing the structure is going on. The work would be undertaken after a month, he said.
