Mumbai residents challenge IIT report on Malabar Hill reservoir

Members of an expert committee examining the reservoir on December 7, 2023

Following the release of the IIT Roorkee report, which recommended constructing a 52-million-litre additional tank to repair the Malabar Hill reservoir, residents and activists have raised objections, claiming the report is based on incorrect data provided by the BMC.

The report from IIT Roorkee states that the total usable storage for tanks 1A, 1B, and 1C is 35.5 million litres (ML), while tanks 2A and 2B have a combined storage of 39 ML, bringing the total capacity to 74.5 ML. Citing storage shortages and inflow/outflow patterns, the experts recommended building an additional 52.4 ML tank. However, residents have disputed these figures. A draft prepared by residents and activists indicates that the BMC provided erroneous data to IIT Roorkee to secure a misleading report.

"Since 2017, the Mumbai civic body has been determined to destroy the magnificent reservoir and the heritage Hanging Garden Precinct under various false pretexts," the draft states.

"The holding capacity of Compartment 2A is 48.23 ML, and Compartment 2B is 31.41 ML, totalling 79.64 ML. The capacities of Compartment 1A, 1B, and 1C are 35.78 ML, 21.32 ML, and 11.04 ML, respectively, with a total of 68.14 ML. The overall holding capacity of the Malabar Hill Reservoir (MHR) is 147.78 ML, but it is never filled beyond 80 ML due to insufficient water inflow," explained activist Zoru Bathena.

Residents have also contested the conclusion that individual tanks at the reservoir cannot be repaired in isolation. "The report doesn't provide any explanation for this claim. It notes that the reservoir has undergone extensive repairs in the past, including the uniting of columns and walls, as well as RCC jacketing on the roof. It seems the BMC has intentionally withheld information from IIT-R about the significant repairs carried out over the years, none of which required the construction of an additional storage tank," said one resident.