Street hawkers’ tarpaulin sheets block view of Dinshaw Manockjee Petit statue once intended to be visible from multiple roads; ironically, the statue is strategically positioned at the junction of Mahapalika Marg, DN Road, and Walchand Hirachand Road, facing the BMC building
The Dinshaw Manockjee Petit marble statue located in Bhatia Garden near CSMT; (right) Tarpaulin sheets installed along the railings by street vendors block the statue’s view. Pics/Eeshanpriya MS
The marble statue of Dinshaw Manockjee Petit, located in Bhatia Garden near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) station, is currently obscured by tarpaulin sheets and cannot be seen from DN Road. Ironically, the statue is strategically positioned at the junction of Mahapalika Marg, DN Road, and Walchand Hirachand Road, facing the BMC building.
This marble statue is among 16 heritage statues, four of them marble, shortlisted last week by the civic body for conservation through regular maintenance. This list also includes the Fitzgerald Fountain at Vasudev Balvant Phadke Chowk, popularly known as the Metro Cinema junction. However, due to tarpaulin sheets installed along the railings of Bhatia Garden by street vendors occupying the footpath outside CSMT, the statue is no longer visible from the road.
An undated picture of the area. Pic/BMC Heritage Department
A senior civic official told mid-day on Thursday: “We are uncertain of the exact date when the statue was erected, but it is likely close to a century old. There are old photographs of this area that highlight the strategic placement of this monument. When Bhatia Garden was renovated, its railing was deliberately designed to provide visibility of the statue.”
The hawkers claim they are licensed vendors and use tarpaulin for protection from rain during the monsoon and heat during summer.
An official from BMC’s heritage department said, “Thousands of pedestrians pass through that area every day due to the heavy footfall from CSMT station and the nearby bus depot. It is an important monument at a highly prominent location in the city. To restore its visibility, the hawkers along the footpath may need to be relocated slightly.”
Dinshaw Manockjee Petit was an industrialist and philanthropist who founded one of the first textile mills in Mumbai.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
