The BMC has engaged the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee to evaluate the feasibility of repairing the Malabar Hill Reservoir (MHR) without the need for an alternative tank. The civic body intends to compare the costs associated with repairing the existing reservoir against those of constructing a new tank before reaching a final decision.
The controversial proposal to reconstruct the Malabar Hill Reservoir has been scrapped by the BMC. Previously, IIT Roorkee had recommended that an additional tank with a capacity of 52 million litres is required to repair the reservoir in phases. However, local residents of Malabar Hill raised concerns that inaccurate data provided to the experts may have led to a misleading report. In response, the civic body held a meeting with IIT Roorkee experts last week, requesting an evaluation to determine if repairs can be made without needing an additional reservoir and how water supply to the island city could be managed in that scenario.
"The experts have requested some additional data related to the reservoir, which will be provided soon. They will inspect the site if necessary and will suggest a technology for a separate inflow channel for the Malabar Hill reservoir during repairs. The current capacity of the tank is 80 million liters, filled three times a day to supply a total of 240 million liters of water.
Currently, the tank is only half full, so we have consulted IIT Roorkee to determine the feasibility of utilising the upper half for additional water storage," said a senior civic official. After receiving the report from IIT Roorkee, the civic body will assess the estimated costs of the proposed work. "Both the least expensive option and the environmental impact will be evaluated to determine the final decision," officials stated.
The 137-year-old reservoir beneath the Hanging Garden supplies 147 million liters of water daily to south Mumbai. The BMC's initial plan involved demolishing and reconstructing the reservoir, which would require a new tank with a capacity of 90 million litres, necessitating the transplantation of 200 trees and the removal of 189 others. However, reports from experts at IIT Bombay indicated that sections 2A, 2B, and 1A are in good condition and only require minor repairs, while sections 1B and 1C exhibit structural distress, with section 1C needing major repairs. The BMC invited experts from IIT Roorkee to further investigate the situation. They inspected the reservoir’s tanks on June 4 to assess the feasibility of repairs and determine the best course of action moving forward.
