Mumbai Mayor halts building work to save ancient Banganga Tank

By Quaid Najmi Mumbai, Jan 2 : In a swift move, Mayor Kishori Pednekar has halted the construction activities by a private builder near the historic Banganga Tank at Malabar Hill in south Mumbai, said an official here on Saturday.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) decision came after complaints by the Hindu Janjagruti Samit (HJS) and a local temple that the building’s construction work was affecting the flow of the underground freshwater sources and polluting the Banganga Tank water.
“Taking serious cognizance, the Mayor personally visited the Banganga Tank site on Friday, inspected the area and then issued a stay on the construction activities there,” HJS spokesperson Uday Dhuri told IANS.
He said that owing to the foundation excavation work for the building, the pure fresh water emanating in the Banganga Kund has turned completely muddy and polluted, shocking devotees and tourists alike.
“This building work has posed a danger for the historic water sources which could permanently disappear. Hence this work msut be stopped immediately and permanently,” Dhuri said after meeting the Mayor along with representatives of GSB Mandir Trust and other Hindu organisations.
After the representation, Pednekar accompanied them for a first-hand assessment of the situation and inspected the tank site and the surroundings before ordering a halt to the construction activities.