BMC to kick off restoration drive of Malabar Hill water reservoir in Mumbai

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is all set to initiate the reconstruction work of the 135-year-old Malabar Hill water reservoir. The plan for the reconstruction and augmentation of the tank capacity was announced back in 2018, as a bid to provide uninterrupted water supply to several wards of Mumbai.

Reportedly, the process will finally kick off by the end of this month with a projected deadline of seven years for completion.

There are five compartments in the main reservoir - 1 A, 1 B, 2 A, 2 B and 1 C, as per which the reconstruction work will also be divided into five phases covering one compartment per phase. This will ensure a seamless water supply from the reservoir alongside the reconstruction work.

Owing to the increased demand in daily water supply, the capacity of the reservoir will also be increased to 191 million litres.

Perched on the highest point of the hillock and lying just beneath the Hanging Garden, the Malabar Hill reservoir is one of the oldest artificial water reservoirs in Mumbai. The reservoir was constructed back in 1887 to meet the day-to-day needs of the city.

The artificial reservoir originally had a capacity of 136.38 million litres and was constructed to distribute water to the A (Colaba, Fort, Nariman Point), C (Girgaum) and D (Malabar Hill, Tardeo) wards of Mumbai which consisted of the maximum proportion of the city's population back in the 19th century. However, the capacity was increased to 147.78 million litres back in 1925.

Later in 2017, BMC executed a structural audit according to which it was perceived that the life of the reservoir has ended and there is a need for reconstruction.