Rs 98 crore cost of restoring Esplanade Mansion now point of contention

Esplanade Mansion. File pic

While all the parties involved in restoration of the 155-year-old Esplanade Mansion are in support of saving the structure, they don't agree on the cost of restoration as two reports filed by the Bombay High Court-appointed committee have quoted two different figures. During a hearing on Monday, the advocates representing MHADA and the building's landlord objected to the Rs 98-crore cost quoted in one of the reports. This prompted the court to schedule a discussion with the three panel members during the next hearing on February 11.

The report filed by structural architect, Chetan Raikar states that the structural repairs would cost Rs 23.4 crore while the report filed by heritage conservationists, Abha Lambah and Pankaj Joshi, has pegged the overall cost of restoration at R98 crore. While advocate Cherag Balsara, who is representing landlord Sadiq Ali, supported Raikar's report; advocate Janak Dwarkadas, representing INTACH, said that the cost had to be discussed with the panel members.

Both Balsara and advocate Prakash Lad, representing MHADA, stated that R98 crore was too high and that Lambah and Joshi were conservation architects and not structural experts. "R100 crore is a far-fetched amount. The report (filed by Lambah and Joshi) says that everything needs to be dismantled and made again. That can't be done since it is a cast iron structure," said Balsara. He added that the corroded parts that might have to be changed were on the fifth floor, and it was possible to restore them without dismantling the entire structure.

Dwarkadas, however, suggested that the experts should be allowed to have a discussion on the reason behind the discrepancy in the cost and come up with a solution amicably.

Then the division bench of justices S J Kathawalla and B P Colabawalla directed all the panel members to be present at the next hearing on February 11.

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