Mumbai: After the heritage steps of the 11th century historical Banganga Tank were damaged by contractor, while using JCB machines, the BMC has now decided to remove silt from the tank manually hereafter. A case has already been registered against the contractor M/s. Savani Heritage Conservation Private Limited, whose task was to remove silt from the tank. Also, the damaged steps have been repaired immediately, said a civic official.
The municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani visited the site and inspected the restoration work of Tank on Thursday. He instructed the civic officials to carry out the restoration work of the Banganga Tank as per the recommendations of the Mumbai heritage conservation committee. "The desilting of the tank carried out during the monsoon will be done manually. A stringent action will also be taken against the contractor for violating the rules set by the Archaeological Department," said Gagrani during the visit.
Banganga Tank is an 11th century Grade-1 heritage precinct belonging to Gaud Saraswat Brahmin Temple Trust and maintained by the Maharashtra Archaeological department. There are 16 prominent temples, including Kashi and Kavale Math, in the precinct. It is one of the last remaining natural water bodies in the city. Though it is close to the Arabian Sea, the rectangular step-water tank is known to store fresh water. The restoration work of the project is undertaken in two phases and expected to be complete by next year.
The project aims to restore the structure to its original identity, attract tourists and facilitate religious rituals. The project included removal of encroachments around the tank, reviving an 11th-century Ram Kund, providing public amenities and restoration and retrofitting work of the tank. Currently, work on restoration of the steps is underway. However, while carrying out desilting work on the tank, the contractor damaged the steps on Tuesday.
