Mumbai: Malabar Hill Reservoir Repairs Stalled As BMC Awaits Final Decision From IIT Roorkee

Although the proposal to reconstruct the Malabar Hill Reservoir (MHR) has been scrapped, the crucial question of whether additional tanks will be required for the project remains unresolved. The consultant and two civic officials working on the project will be visiting the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT-R) with the report soon. Senior officials are hopeful that this evaluation will lead to a definitive conclusion this time

As per the preliminary findings from IIT Roorkee in October 2024, repairs to the 137-year-old reservoir are feasible without the need to construct a new tank, as initially planned. However, the final decision regarding the MHR project was delayed due to the state assembly elections in November 2024. After nearly four months, the civic authorities held a meeting with experts from IIT Roorkee on Friday to discuss the next steps for the project.

"The consultant and civic officials will be visiting IIT Roorkee next week. 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. We will take a final decision based on their report," said a senior civic official. However, it's been nearly a year since IIT Bombay submitted their final report on the Reservoir in March, yet the civic body has yet to make a final decision, leaving the repairs of the reservoir in limbo.

After receiving contrasting reports on the MHR from two expert teams, the BMC sought the intervention of IIT Roorkee. In June 2024, the then Guardian Minister (Suburbs) announced that the controversial proposal to reconstruct the reservoir will be scrapped. Initially, the IIT Roorkee team recommended constructing a 52 MLD alternative tank to ensure uninterrupted water supply during the reservoir’s repairs. However, this would have resulted in a loss of green cover on a plot adjoining the Hanging Gardens. Later, IIT Roorkee confirmed that repairs to the reservoir are feasible without the need for a new tank, but the process would be complex and costly.

The century-old reservoir, located beneath the Hanging Gardens, supplies 147 million liters of water daily to South Mumbai. The BMC's original plan involved demolishing and reconstructing the reservoir, which would require a new tank, leading to the transplantation of 200 trees and the removal of 189 others. However, this proposal faced strong opposition from local residents, who were against the environmental impact of the project.