Mumbai: RPG Group chairman Harsh Goenka on Tuesday revealed that “local community pressure” did not allow them to “achieve much” in the rejuvenation of the historic Banganga Tank at Walkeshwar.The industrialist took to social media platform X after it emerged that hundreds of fish died in the tank due to religious offerings by devotees during the Pitru Paksha observance.“There was so much of local community pressure that we couldn’t achieve much,” he said.Civic officials said RPG’s plans were pertaining to painting around the precinct area, placement of heritage poles and upgradation of a playground in the area. “It wasn’t anything to do with the central Banganga tank restoration,” said an official.Local resident Clyde Crasto, whose father Rocky Crasto was a former corporator from the area decades ago, said one of the most effective ways to tackle the problem was to ensure that the offerings are removed immediately after being immersed in the tank.“A civic team should be stationed at the spot to clear the offerings promptly, so that the fish do not end up eating any of it, especially the flour,” he said, adding his father would passionately work for the betterment of the place.Crasto also said that he is well versed with the entire rectangular pool structure, surrounded by steps on all four sides.A civic official said, “Banganga is also steeped in mythological significance. The Walkeshwar temple along with Banganga tank in the Malabar Hill area is the oldest existing Hindu temple complex in the city. In the complex, there are twelve temples of various Hindu deities. The complex also has a crematorium, and Hindu funeral ceremonies take place on the Banganga ghats.”On Tuesday, state minister and local BJP MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha inspected the tank and later said protecting the heritage site and its aquatic ecosystem would require cooperation from both the civic administration and citizens.He appealed to visitors to follow religious traditions without compromising the water body’s ecology and to ensure that offerings and other waste do not enter the tank.Local resident Sanjay Shirke said the tank should have been barricaded and secured to prevent any activity affecting fish. “It is unfortunate no timely action was taken despite the risks being known. The death of so many fish could possibly have been prevented if authorities had taken precautionary measures and monitored the situation more closely,” he said. Shirke has filed a public interest litigation seeking measures to protect the tank.Banganga Tank, one of Mumbai’s oldest and historically significant water bodies, attracts a large numbers of visitors for religious rituals.It is also one of the last remaining natural water bodies in Mumbai, known to store fresh water even though it is in close proximity to the Arabian Sea. Devotees place religious offerings in the tank’s water on the last day of the Hindu calendar’s Pitru Paksha day every year. The offerings mainly comprise floral waste and food items which pollute the water. The tank is home to several different species of fish and due to increasing pollutants in the water body, oxygen levels drop, resulting in the death of fish in the water.The GSB Trust, which owns Banganga, declined comment.
