Mumbai: BMC to restore Worli Fort, project to cost Rs 2 crore

🔴 'The bund wall of the fort will be repaired. Many stones from the fort’s drainage system are missing. In the 10-metre area around the fort, landscaping will be done and a basalt walkway will be created.'

THE WORLI Fort will soon undergo a major restoration and beautification by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Shiv Gurav, a junior engineer of BMC’s G-south ward said, “The bund wall of the fort will be repaired. Many stones from the fort’s drainage system are missing. Other places in the fort will also be restored. In the 10-metre area around the fort, landscaping will be done and a basalt walkway will be created. A basalt stone information board will also be installed and the illumination will also be carried out.” The project will cost Rs 2 crore and will be completed in a year.

Worli is also the constituency of Shiv Sena leader environment minister Aaditya Thackeray and the party wants to develop it further. A decision to beautify the fort was taken by environment minister Aaditya Thackeray in a meeting on September 1, 2021. The tender for the works was issued on November 26.

Assistant Municipal Commissioner Sharad Ughade said, “There is a gymnasium inside the fort and we will shift this. There are eight to 10 huts in the 10-metre vicinity of the fort along with a public toilet. We will provide alternate accommodation to this too.”  He said that the BMC had started illumination of the fort on an experimental basis since Diwali and this will continue.

Sachin Ahir, Shiv Sena deputy leader and former Worli MLA, said, “We have to attract tourism in Worli Fort and we are doing the works from the BMC and under the guidance of Aadityaji. We can’t clear all hutments, but some will be shifted for beautification.”

Worli Fort was built by the British around 1675 on Worli Hill overlooking the Mahim Bay at a time when Mumbai was just seven islands. It was used to look out for enemy ships and pirates.   BMC also wants restoration of the Mahim Fort and wants to clear 300 hutments near it by rehabilitating the slum dwellers at SKurla.

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