Rains threaten Asiatic gems

Ambarish Mishra, TNN | Jun 4, 2011, 06.06am IST

MUMBAI: With heavy rains thrashing the city on Thursday , the Asiatic Society of Mumbai (ASM), now under extensive repairs, has pulled out all stops to save its treasure of priceless tomes, raremanuscripts and coins.

The ASM authorities on Friday reviewed the damage to the heritage structure—which dates back to 1832 and bears testimony to the British architecture and culture—because of unseasonal showers. "There has been some leakage and the vestibule took the brunt of the downpour. We have asked the Public Works department (PWD) engineers and the civil contractor to wrap up the repairs as early as possible," said ASM president and noted scholar Dr Aroon Tikekar .

PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal assured this newspaper that the repair works would be given 'top priority' by his department. "I will instruct the officials to work expeditiously ," said Bhujbal, who, incidentally, is a life member of the Asiatic Society .

"We have shifted our books and periodicals to the basement. Luckily, a sizeable portion of the repairs work is nearing completion," Tikekar added.

The majestic Durbar hall, the venue of many scholarly discourses, now serves as makeshift office and godown as well. "Many books have been shifted here as the hall repairs are over," said ASM vice-chief and Hindi cinema scholar Virchand Dharamsey . Restoring the roof is the ASM's immediate concern. "The contractor has assured us that if the monsoon honours its June 7 date of arrival, major repair work will be fairly under control," said ASM secretary Meena Vaishampayan .

The ASM has had an uneasy summer this year. Tikekar was in the middle of a lecture at Wilson College in March when he was urgently summoned by the ASM staff following a visit by PWD officials . "The entire structure was in bad shape. Rust had eaten into the beams and the roof looked dangerous. The PWD authorities were keen that we move out of the building ," he said. A Rs 3-crore plan was given a green signal by Mantralaya.

Many members blame the state government, which handles the repairs and maintenance of the structure, for its apathy. "Those in power have scant regard for culture and literature. Politicians have no time for the Asiatic Society," said a senior member.

Meanwhile, with scaffoldings , tarpaulins and cement bags occupying the centre stage, the "most magnificent structure" , to borrow the words of Sir John Malcolm (he was governor of Bombay early last century), resembles an SRA project, the post-1995 Mumbai's stark metaphor.

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On Sat, Jun 4, 2011 at 4:34 PM, Jagdeep DESAI <jagdeep.desai1@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello all,

What is this

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/15/2011060420110604034323535407b63c1/BMC-cant-keep-mayors-office-dry-What-hope-do-you-have.html

Such ridiculous quality has to be thoroughly investigated.

The so called conservation professional who was appointed for this has to answer for this, because its not only the fake and false heritage facade which is to be done, but the entire building should have been repaired.

All those who appointed the professional consultant, those who approved the bills, and those who on the heritage committee are liable, not only the contractor who has done the work.

Of course each one will blame the other, and no one will be held accountable.

Thanqx.

Jagdeep DESAI
Architect

Secretary
Founder Trustee
Forum for Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai Suburbs

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BMC can't keep mayor's office dry. What hope do you have?

An hour into the first serious showers of the season, the heritage building was flooded. So much for the civic body's rain-readiness

Geeta Desai


Posted On Saturday, June 04, 2011 at 03:43:17 AM

If you have let BMC's no-flooding-this-monsoon promises wash with you, these pictures should serve as a warning.

1  Mirror reporter splish-splashes her way through the second floor that houses the municipal secretary's administrative department, heritage conservation department and the labour office.

2  The flooded corridor outside Mayor Shraddha Jadhav's first floor office. Municipal Commissioner Subodh Kumar sits on the same floor, not very far from Jadhav's chamber.

3  A leaking roof on the first floor outside the Corporation Hall where all important meetings are held.

These scenes were recorded by this Mirror reporter around 9.30 pm on Friday, an hour or so after it began raining. By then, reports were already coming in of flooding at several areas in Dadar, Mahim, Matunga, Bandra-Khar Linking Road and Hindmata.

But for a municipal corporation that can't fix its own house these reports mustn't have come as a surprise?

Since Mayor's office was locked, there was no way to find out the extent of damage inside. Mumbai Mirror found that there was extensive leakage from the floor above. Paint from the ceiling had peeled off and water was seeping in.

When this paper contacted Subodh Kumar, who has been claiming that BMC is rain ready, he said: "I will ask the city engineer to inspect the floors and report to me. If the repairs are not done properly, I will take a serious note of the same."

Mayor Shraddha Jadhav was surprised on hearing about the leakage. "I will see to it that the contractor who has carried out the renovation work foots the bill for repairs.

This is a heritage building and it was extremely essential that repairs should have been carried out well. I am appalled," she said.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Aseem Kumar Gupta was also taken by surprise. "I will send officers from disaster management cell to check the building.

Raju Shinde

The flooding at the mayor's office  Water-logging at King's Circle
As for water logging in the city, drains and nullahs have been cleaned satisfactorily. But in the first showers dirt and garbage from the roads flows into drains resulting in temporary chokes."

The BMC headquarters underwent extensive renovations recently.