MUMBAI: In a climbdown following sustained citizen protests, the BMC has reduced the number of trees proposed to be affected for the Malabar Hill reservoir reconstruction project from 389 in 2023 to 76 now.The move comes after years of opposition from residents and environmental groups, who flagged the ecological impact of the project. A site visit by TOI on Tuesday revealed that the revised design for the construction of a 52 MLD alternative tank has been reworked to preserve large-girth trees. Among those that will be affected are Ashoka, Fanas, Bel, Mango and Jambhul trees. The project boundary has been redrawn by officials to skirt around mature trees, with civic officials indicating that most of the 76 trees now likely to be affected fall within the smaller 1-5ft girth category. The alignment changes on the ground visibly reflect an attempt to minimise damage to the existing green cover.
The BMC has also redrafted the plan for the proposed 52 MLD alternative reservoir, which is to be constructed as a backup to the century-old Malabar Hill tank. Officials said the alternative is critical to ensuring uninterrupted water supply when the Malabar Hill reservoir is taken up for reconstruction, warning that any structural failure of the existing reservoir could severely impact south Mumbai’s water distribution network. The alternative is coming up behind Hanging Gardens, below which the reservoir stands. The revised plan places the alternative within a “funnel of vision”, meaning it will require additional clearance from the urban development department. This could add another layer of scrutiny before the project proceeds further.What stands out in the revised plan is the extent to which civic authorities have altered the project layout to accommodate public sentiment. The boundary of the proposed tank has been shifted multiple times to avoid large trees, showing how sustained citizen pressure has directly influenced planning decisions in one of Mumbai’s most high-profile infrastructure projects.A civic official said the footprint of the alternative tank will be 4,000 sq m, of which 2,200 sq m will be required solely for reservoir construction, while the remainder will be used for ancillary work such as the construction of valves, micro-tunnelling and pumps. “Even in the case of the 76 trees that are likely to be impacted, every effort will be made at the execution stage to try and save as many as possible. In cases where trees are affected, we will rope in experts to try and transplant those that are in the way of the project,” the official said.
