Mumbai Rains: 15-Foot Wall Collapses At Banganga Tank Heritage Site, Joint Inspection By BMC, Archaeology Dept And Temple Trust Planned

Mumbai: A day after a 15-foot-high section of the compound wall at Banganga Tank collapsed, the State Archaeology Department, BMC, and Gaud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) Temple Trust have called a joint site visit and meeting to decide on necessary repair measures.

Due to heavy rainfall, a section of the compound wall at the Banganga Tank heritage precinct collapsed on Sunday evening. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident at the Grade 1 heritage structure.

Manish Valanju, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of D ward, said, “The retaining wall that collapsed was attached to illegal structures that were recently demolished in a joint operation by the BMC and the GSB Temple Trust.”

He further added, “Since the structure is owned and managed by the GSB Temple Trust, a joint site visit was arranged on Monday following the incident. The State Archaeology Department was also expected to join to assess the damage and determine the necessary repair measures. However, the visit was postponed to Tuesday due to continued heavy rainfall.”

The BMC, in coordination with the temple trust, had plans to undertake repairs on the retaining wall as part of the second phase of the ongoing restoration work. However, the BMC's team has now barricaded the area after the mishap.

Banganga Tank, a 12th-century Grade-I heritage precinct in Walkeshwar, houses 16 prominent temples including Kashi and Kavale Math. Despite its proximity to the Arabian Sea, the rectangular step tank uniquely holds fresh water, making it one of Mumbai's last remaining natural water bodies. In 2024, the BMC and GSB Temple Trust began a phased restoration of the site. The first phase—focused on step restoration and encroachment removal—is currently underway.