CM urged to stall demolition of 155-year-old South Mumbai building

MUMBAI: Trustees of three residents’ associations in South Mumbai have written to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to prevent Mhada from demolishing the 155-year-old Esplanade Mansion, a grade II A heritage structure that once served as Bombay’s first luxury hotel. Formerly called Watson’s Hotel, it was recently inscribed by Unesco as a

world heritage site

as it falls within the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles. “It is a nationally and internationally important building today and the world will take note of what happens to it,” claimed the letter. A similar letter to Mhada chief officer Deependra Kushwah warned that “any proposal to demolish the building could result in compromising the Unesco inscription”.


Trustees of Nariman Point Churchgate Citizens’ Association (NPCCA), Oval Cooperage Residents’ Association (OCRA) and OVAL Trust were spurred to action after reading news reports that Mhada wanted to demolish the building or ask its owners and tenants to repair it. “It stands out with its cast iron columns and

wrought iron

beams in a neighbourhood of stone edifices,” wrote the trustees, adding, “Seeing the unique structure of the building, it is unrealistic to ask either the landlord or tenants to carry out repairs.”

The building has long been dilapidated but the situation came to a head earlier this month when part of the balconies on the second, third and fourth floors collapsed. This was the second time part of the building caved in. In 2005, nine pedestrians were injured. In 2011, Mhada declared the building dangerous and told residential and commercial tenants to vacate it. “At that time, if Mhada had tried to repair it, it would have had to spend Rs 17.89 crore more than the allowed limit,” explained Mhada executive engineer Dilip Garje.


That’s when the owners obtained an NOC to repair the building. But since their plan amounted to reconstruction, permission was denied. In 2015, Mhada tried to vacate the building and pull it down but the tenants filed a writ petition in

Bombay high court

seeking to remain in the building and were given ad interim relief. “The court gave us in writing that it will not hold Mhada responsible if any untoward incident occurs,” added Garje. The building is propped up externally under the supervision of a registered structural engineer and the issue is sub judice.
“We have given the owners an NOC for repairs. We are not interested in demolishing it but if the owners don’t repair it, what can we do?” said Mhada’s Mumbai Repairs and Reconstruction Board chief officer Dinkar Jagdale, adding, “We will do whatever the HC tells us.”

The trustees demanded that state government departments like Mhada, MTDC and MMRDA’s Heritage Conservation Society chip in to cover the cost of conserving Esplanade Mansion. They added that Unesco drew special attention to the poor condition of Esplanade Mansion at the World Heritage Committee meeting in

Bahrain

and that the state had promised ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) that “all proposals for alterations or modifications of cess buildings shall be presented to the heritage conservation committee”.