Mumbai: Malabar Hill Reservoir repair hinges on research and costs

Members of an expert committee at the tank on December 7, 2023

Not only will the feasibility study to repair the existing Malabar Hill Reservoir without building a new tank play a role in the decision, but the cost will also be a determining factor for the civic body on whether or not to proceed with constructing a new tank. The issue of building a new tank has been unresolved for over a year.

The debate surrounding the reconstruction of the 144-year-old reservoirs and the addition of new ones has been ongoing for more than a year and a half. In February 2023, a work order was issued for the construction of an additional 90-million-litre capacity tank, along with the reconstruction of old reservoirs, at an estimated cost of R698 crore.

However, the proposed construction of a new tank required the removal of 389 trees, which sparked opposition from citizens. Expert committees, comprising citizens and experts from IIT Bombay and IIT Roorkee, submitted three reports between January and July, but no breakthrough was reached.

Following the last report, the BMC concluded that constructing smaller tanks with a 34-million-litre capacity would suffice for phased repair work on the reservoirs. However, even this solution necessitates the removal of a few trees, as the location cannot be altered. Recently, the BMC held a meeting with an IIT Bombay expert to reassess the feasibility of repairing the old reservoirs without constructing a new one.

"There are five interconnected tanks at the Malabar Hill Reservoir. Either tanks 1A, 1B, and 1C together, or 2A and 2B must be closed for the repairs, as they share common input and output lines. Otherwise, we would need to separate them by introducing individual input and output systems for each tank to repair them one by one. Maintaining the water level in the remaining tanks is also critical, and this involves a cost factor," said a senior BMC official.

He further explained that while IIT Bombay is ready to conduct a feasibility study based on the information provided by the BMC, the cost involved is a crucial consideration. The expenses for detaching each tank and constructing new lines solely for repair purposes will also be factored into the final decision. The report will take two more weeks.