After opposition to project that threatens 389 trees in Hanging Gardens, MLA chairs meet with residents, civic officials, recommends exploring Indian and global tech
MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha at the meeting with residents and civic officials on Monday
After opposition from Malabar Hill residents to the reservoir reconstruction that requires doing away with 389 trees at Hanging Garden, local MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Monday suggested civic officials explore alternatives to save the trees. The MLA from Malabar Hill met civic officials along with residents at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters.
Among the civic officials present at the meeting was Garden Superintendent Jitendra Pardesi. The BMC has decided to reconstruct the century-old Malabar Hill reservoir at the cost of Rs 698.5 crore and 389 trees. Of the 389 trees, 189 are to be cut and 200 are to be transplanted in the Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens, commonly known as Hanging Gardens.
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Lodha said at the meeting, “This is a 140-year-old reservoir. When it was built, it was made keeping the gravitational force in mind. But now technology has evolved. We must explore new technology from India and abroad. Large open spaces have been created by reclamation for the coastal road project. We could utilise these open spaces.” “I have asked civic officers to explore new technology. We shall meet to discuss this matter again next week on Tuesday,” he added.
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Khorshed Bharucha, a resident of Malabar Hill, demanded that the BMC seek other options. “These are very old trees and they need to be preserved. We residents are also in support of exploring alternatives. We got a positive response from Lodha who supports our stand,” Bharucha said.
The BMC decided to reconstruct the reservoir in February 2022. The project is expected to increase the reservoir’s capacity from 147.78 to 191 million litres. The reservoir holds drinking water which is mainly supplied to south Mumbai. The work is to be carried out in phases over seven years and a deadline was set for 2019 end.
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Trees facing transplantation
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