Mumbai's 136-year-old iconic Hanging Gardens may be demolished, closed for 7 years
Mumbai's iconic Hanging Gardens, a beloved 136-year-old landmark, might soon bear the brunt of infrastructure development within the city. As per a TOI report, a proposal to overhaul a colonial-era reservoir beneath the terraced gardens on Malabar Hill is set to render this cherished spot inaccessible to the public over a phased seven-year period.
P Velrasu, the additional municipal commissioner in charge of projects, told TOI, «The plan is to demolish and reconstruct the reservoir over a period of seven years.» This ambitious project is expected to necessitate the dismantling of the entire landscaped area and the relocation of approximately 350 trees to an adjacent plot.
In response to vehement objections from local residents, Mumbai's guardian minister and Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), MP Lodha, has convened a public meeting scheduled for Tuesday to address the concerns.
The reservoir, situated atop one of the city's highest points, plays a vital role in supplying water to various areas of South Mumbai through gravity flow. Lodha emphasized, «If there are alternatives they can be explored.
But then instead of using gravity to provide supply to all of south Mumbai, water may have to be pumped up here.»
The ambitious Rs 698-crore plan to demolish the Hanging Gardens and reconstruct the massive reservoir beneath it has been in the works since a structural audit in 2017 revealed the precarious condition of the roof of the reservoir, which also serves as the garden's foundation, and the supporting columns. Presently, the reservoir has a capacity of 147 million litres and comprises five chambers, covering approximately 22,000 square meters.
