Historic Mumbai bunker resurfaces as Ballard Estate project begins

A World War IIera bunker tucked behind the Art Deco Karfule petrol pump on SS Ramgulam Marg in Ballard Estate has come into focus as redevelopment begins on the surrounding plot The structure in the Edwardian neoclassical precinct of Fort has stood for more than 75 years on a small strip of land now being developed into an entertainment hub and food courtConstruction work underway at the Ballard Estate site being developed into a garden and food courtThe bunker is one of a handful of such structures in Mumbai with others located in Antop Hill and Sion When midday visited the site the bunker appeared to be in good condition with staircases leading underground However most of the lower portion has been sealed off with a wall to prevent misuseSite statusgtgt The bunker is structurally intactgtgt Access staircases are visiblegtgt Lower sections have been blocked offgtgt The surrounding land is fenced and under developmentThe bunker with access staircases leading underground The shelter has been partially sealed to prevent misuse PICSASHISH RAJEWhat are WWII bunkersgtgt Reinforced concrete structuresgtgt Built for military command and defenceFew remaining sites in Mumbaigtgt Ballard Estategtgt Antop Hillgtgt SionDevelopment activity around the WWII bunker with the structure set to remain untouched amid the projectWhat is happening at the siteThe plot belongs to the Mumbai Port Trust MbPT which has leased it for redevelopment into a public spaceThe site engineer in charge told middayldquoThe MbPT issued a tender for the project The idea is to develop an entertainment area with a garden and a food court for citizensrdquoHe addedldquoIt is an old structure and all landscaping is being planned around it As of now the project does not involve restoration of the structure but it will not be damagedrdquo An executive at the site said ldquoIt is a better use of the plot than leaving it unusedrdquo while assuring that the bunker would not be disturbedBMC clarificationThe Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC initially believed to be involved conducted a site visit after inquiries An A ward official said ldquoSince we were unaware of the work we inspected the site It was found that the land belongs to MbPT They are the authority managing the projectrdquoVoices from the cityFaredoon Bhujwala communications professionallsquoAs a heritage evangelist I feel sad to see the bunker in this condition It may even be destroyed Small as it may be it represents Mumbairsquos connection to World War II Such structures should be preserved for future generationsrsquoAadil Desai heritage enthusiastlsquoRestoring the bunker and opening it for public viewing could be a great idea Earlier cultural events at the site during the weekend were very successful but were later discontinued It would be nice to see something like that start againrsquoBharat Gothoskar founder Khaki TourslsquoIn the 1920s the rock excavated by Bombay Port Trust BPT from the seafloor while constructing the Alexandra Dock was used to reclaim land from the sea to its south BPT used the reclamation to develop Ballard Estate It was the first dedicated business district in the city where plots were given on lease to various corporates The layout and the design guidelines of the enclave were finalised by Architect George Wittet in the prevailing Edwardian style in London Ballard Estate has a strong connection to the World Wars The WWII bunker was used as an informal construction rubble dump for year Recently the site has been cleaned and fenced I hope it is being restored under expert guidance so that we donrsquot lose another heritage spot to ldquodevelopmentrdquorsquo