According to the Bombay High Court, the Esplanade Mansion building in Fort is a major disaster waiting to happen, as the heritage structure is completely dilapidated and may collapse anytime in the near future
Esplanade Mansion formerly known as Watson's Esplanade Hotel/AFP
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday heard a petition filed by advocate Ashok Saraogi challenging a notice issued by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) that asked tenants to vacate the five-storey Esplanade Mansion, formerly known as Watson's Hotel, feted as one of India's oldest Victorian-era cast-iron structures immediately, as it has been declared unfit for habitation.
Advocate Saraogi alleged that though the building is repairable, the landlord is not interested in getting it repaired. To which the MHADA also supported the advocate by saying that the landlord had not carried out necessary repairs. Its counsel PG Lad said that the MHADA wanted the occupants to vacate the building and they had also given undertakings before the HC saying that they continue the occupation of the Esplanade Mansion at their own risk. The landlord, however, claimed he was willing to undertake repairs, but could not do so for want of the civic body’s permit.
“The building is in a dilapidated condition and it is going to be a major disaster,” said the division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Anuja Prabhudessai referring to the only cast iron structure that now exists in Mumbai.
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"Dangerous Building" notice put up on the Esplanade Mansion by MHADA/AFP
Currently, 15 families and over 200 tenants live at the iconic Esplanade Mansion that was once popularly known as the Watson's Hotel. The judges gave the statement in the High Court, just two days before the hearing when a part of a balcony of the building crushed a taxi.
The bench comprising Justice Ranjit More and Justice Anuja Prabhudessai have now asked advocate Saraogi to add the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee as a party to the petition and issued it a notice. The counsel’s PG Lad also pointed out that the cost of repairing the esteemed Esplanade Mansion will be very high, as the structure is of cast iron and is an iconic symbol of the city’s history.
Esplanade Mansion:
The iconic Esplanade Mansion once called the Watson's Hotel; fabricated in England and constructed from 1860 to 1863. It is named after its original owner John Watson who ran a drapery business in Bombay. The Watson Hotel was an exclusive Europeans-only hotel and one of the most renowned hotels that the city was witnessed to in those days. Known as India's oldest surviving cast iron building, the Esplanade Mansion is located near Kala Ghoda. Despite its listing as a Grade II–A heritage structure, the Watson Hotel still remains as an important piece of the city’s rich history but sadly today the building is now in a dilapidated state.
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