Residents allege excavation by builder at BMC’s Worli hill reservoir

The officials had directed the builder not to cut the cliff portion by any means and to submit evidence regarding construction of compound wall. “When we did not get a satisfactory response from the builder, we asked ward officials to demolish the wall, built so close to our compound,” said an official from the water supply department, who did not wish to be named.

There are around 100 hutments along the hill slope on one side, and around the hill lie residential complexes, including the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project, whose builder has allegedly built the compound wall. Residents alleged that portion of the hill was cut, pointing to the rock boulders still present within the compound wall as evidence.

Moreover, the water supply department is close to completing the construction of an additional reservoir with a capacity of another 22 million litre atop the hill.

Residents are worried that due to this alleged excavation, the hill may not be stable enough to take the extra load of the second reservoir in case of an earthquake. “Around 40-50 feet of the hill has been cut. If the foundation for the reservoir is weakened and the reservoir walls give way, all our houses will be destroyed by the resulting flood,” said Vishin Ajwani, trustee of Worli Hill Association.

Meanwhile, ward officials claimed that despite complaints, they are helpless as SRA has approved the project. Assistant commissioner of G-South ward, Keshav Ubale, however, denied knowledge of the wall demolition.

SRA officials claimed the wall was constructed only after strengthening the hill. “The builder has provided us with a study and has taken necessary steps to strengthen the hill before undertaking the compound wall construction,” said an executive engineer from SRA.

The builder denied that rock cutting had taken place. “No rock blasting has taken place at the site. The project was approved in 1996 and the current compound wall has replaced a barbed wire present at the exact spot to prevent encroachment by slumdwellers. However, a formal survey for demarcation of our plot was done last year, and the compound wall has come up only after all the concerned authorities approved the demarcated area,” said a representative of the builder.

anjali.lukose@expressindia.com