You may soon get this view from atop BMC HQ

Civic body chief ventured atop the building and was so smitten by the view, he wants the common man to see it too; proposes having an external staircase installed for the public

Never seen the view from atop the BMC headquarters before? Well maybe within a year, you may get a bird's eye view of CST station and all the heritage buildings in the surrounding areas. Provided, things go as envisioned by the commissioner.


If all goes as planned and the BMC headquarters is open to the
public, one will get a chance to have anu00a0 unobstructed view from
Raj Bhavan to Gateway of India and from Wankhede stadium
to the Dockyards

The BMC's main building in the Fort Area has a spectacular view of structures in and around from nearly six storeys above the ground.

The building itself is five storeyed with a dome within going up from the third floor, which was recently coated with 23.5-carat gold. Officials working at the building say that the panoramic view from the top is like none other in the SoBo area.

A security guard who raises and lowers the National Flag every day said, "When we come up here, we have a different view of everything.

The roads appear wider and the CST station looks beautiful." He further added that a month ago Municipal Commissioner Subodh Kumar came to the rooftop with his family during sunset and found the view mesmerizing.

Sharing the treat
An official at the BMC said that if Kumar has his way, the place would be opened up for the public to enjoy what the BMC headquarters has to offer.

"The commissioner loved the view and does not want to restrict the public from enjoying it. He even envisioned having an outer staircase, for people to reach the top," said the official.

MiD DAY visited the BMC headquarters and after climbing up five storeys up a spiral staircase, which got narrower at every floor, the view was worth every step.

The Azad Maidan had never looked greener, and the view of the clouds rolling across the sky was enchanting. The unobstructed view from Raj Bhavan to Gateway of India and from Wankhede stadium to the Dockyards is pleasantly soothing compared to the jungle of high rises.

Must see
Kumar said, "I had been there once and the experience can only be enjoyed if one sees it for themselves. I do not want to restrict this treat from the eyes of the public as it is a new and unique view." Kumar informed that they are still working on the idea of having a staircase from the outside so security issues can be taken care of.

Restoration project
While working on overall restoration of the BMC headquarters, Lambah's team had found specks of gold on the dome. In July 2010, a fresh coat of 23.5-carat gold was put on its main dome.

The whole exercise had started in 2008 and is part of a massive project to restore the 125-year old colonial structure built in the Gothic-Revival style in 1884.

A total of Rs 7 crore has been allotted for the project and another Rs 75 lakh for the restoration of stained glasses. About 95 per cent of the restoration is complete till date and currently fitting of the stained glass is pending.