How safe is Mumbai's heritage from wrecking?

Mumbai isnrsquot free from greed or irony In an incident that occurred nearly six months ago vandals have stolen the hands of a clock that sits within the BH Wadia clock tower at the bustling junction of Bazaar Gate Road and Nariman Perin Street in Fort And they were able to access it say observers because of a scaffolding built around it for a muchneed facelift meant to kick off next monthThe 1882 built Bomanjee Hormusjee Wadia clock towerrsquos restoration will kick off next month PicsOnkar DevlekarThe BH Clock tower erected in 1882 to honour former sheriff and philanthropist Bomanjee Hormusjee Wadia is a heritage structure with a magnificent faccedilade thatrsquos now crumbling Years of neglect had left little of the clock except a stub at the centre and Roman numbering around a shattered clock face The vandals took away a large chunk of the glass pane and the clockrsquos hands ldquoA few days ago I had discovered an old gas light inside the tower which I thought would make for a great piece of history That too has disappearedrdquo said Kayomi Engineer administrative director of the Kala Ghoda Association KGA a nonprofit that works to maintain and preserve the heritage and art district of South MumbaiThe towerrsquos entrance has two Lamassus an Assyrian deity with the body of an ox or lion human head and bird wingsIt is impossible says conservation architect Vikas Dilawari to replace these but suitable substitutes will be made during the restoration which he will helm with backing from KGAVikas Dilawari PicSayed Sameer AbediWhen midday visited the site on Wednesday the tower was sheathed in tin sheets to keep vandals out ldquoThe stone structure needs a lot of workrdquo said Engineer adding that Dilawarirsquos team will kick off in February in an effort that is expected to cost R65 lakh and be completed by early next yearldquoThe top portion of the tower is in terrible condition Cracks have developed due to vegetation growth The slab of the structure is susceptible to collapse Strengthening it is going to be difficult since the wooden joist on which the slab rests has been destroyed due to rain and neglectrdquo Dilawari explainedOne of the objects that he is going to have to turn his attention to is a fading marble plaque that stands at the entrance of the tower carrying engraved inscriptions in the Pahlavi script the written form of middle Iranian languagesMeherangiz Parvarish 70 is a resident of the neighbourhood and member of the Zoroastrian community to which Wadia belonged She claimed she wrote umpteen letters and made phone calls to officials in the heritage department of the BMC drawing attention to the towerrsquos neglect Part of a commemorative fountain it incorporates elements of the Zoroastrian faith including the flames that sit atop its pinnacle considered holy by the community that believes fire is sacredldquoThis structure is a landmark and a magnificent one After incessant follow ups all the corporation did was paint the tower a horrible yellow and orangerdquo she said referring to a common gaffe that the civic department is known to make as previously seen in Fort landmark Flora Fountain Stone conservationists say needs to breathe Painting it over chokes it reducing the life of the structure by years