Crawford Market's fountain restoration coming apart due to apathy

The first phase of the restoration of Crawford Market is not even done and it is already coming apart thanks to vandalism and next to no maintenance One of the three fountains at the market restored just last year is already damaged Some have dumped garbage on the 153yearold fountain while others have spat on it and even scribbled on the stone plinthsJust last year the fountain was restored at a cost of Rs 5 lakh At the time there were several layers of oil paint that had to be scraped off before the structure could be refurbished said an official from the civic bodys building maintenance BM departmentThe fountain restored just last year is already laden with garbage scribbles and spit stains circledThe ornamental artefact dates back to 1865 and is the only one of three fountains at Crawford Market that is located inside the market building the other two stand on either side of the 147yearold structure Today the fountain is laden with discarded plastic bags paper cups and water bottles Some people have dumped their garbage there while others have left spit stains and scribbles on the stone Apart from the fountain the lanterns hanging from the ceiling have also not been cleaned in a long time and are covered with cobwebsTurns out the Rs 300crore restoration contract does not include a maintenance clause and none of the departments of the BMC are willing to take the responsibilityEven the expensive light fittings have been left dirty and full of cobwebs PicsPradeep DhivarWhose job is it anywayBefore the restoration work was taken up in 2015 maintenance of the heritage structure was the responsibility of A ward for all repairs costing less than Rs 25 lakh For anything above that the market department would float a tender for the sameCurrently phase I of the restoration project is being overseen by the BM department and the second phase will be taken over by the building construction BC department The second phase is expected to begin later this month and contractors have been appointed to carry out the work Conservation architect Abha Lambah is in charge of the entire projectOfficials from the BM department stated that once significant portions are restored they are handed over to the market department We restored the fountain last year and till date we have reconstructed 585 shops Once we were done with the work we handed it over to the market department Maintenance and cleanliness is now their responsibility said an official from the BM departmentHowever officials from the market department begged to differ The market department doesnt do any civil work We only look after cleanliness Since the damage has happened within the warranty period the building maintenance department should look after its maintenance said an official Ratnakar Karale chairman of the Mahatma Phule Market Dukandar Sewa Sangh said that despite several complaints the BMC has refused to take responsibility for maintaining the structureWe pay BMC to do thisWe have written to them and have met senior officials to point out the problems after the restoration work was done There are leakages and expensive lamps are covered with pigeon droppings and cobwebs But no one takes responsibility The lamps are so tall that if one of them stops working its not possible for us to fix it he saidHe added that the shopkeepers are willing to pay more rent to the civic authorities if they maintain and provide security for the heritage structure The BMC maintains gardens which dont give them any revenue Crawford market is an Agrade market and we all pay the BMC Its their duty to keep it in good condition he saidFor civic commissioner Ajoy Mehta vandalism is more to blame If the market association takes over the responsibility of maintaining and safeguarding Crawford Market the Corporation will take it up for repairs We cannot keep repairing if acts of vandalism continue to damage the structure he said Architect Lambah could not be reached for commentCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates