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Mumbai: Is it a coincidence that the reconstructed Bisni building in Fort made its presence felt once the Metro 3 construction barricades were removed recently? It turns out that the initial proposal to reconstruct Bisni building (at DN Rd-Banaji Rd junction) was exactly as per the original approval, without any change in height (23.2 metres) or built-up area, comprising ground+4 floors.But the reconstruction proposal was amended thrice after the first proposal in 2016/17.
The third amendment in 2022 was submitted by the developer for an increased height of about 32 metres (ground+9 floors), on the grounds of claiming rehab fungible compensatory FSI. The heritage committee allowed this and BMC approved the plan. “Finishing work is going on at the site,” a BMC official told TOI. A local said work on the building went largely unnoticed since the site was shielded by high Metro 3 barricades. A Fort resident said that a few years ago, the owners of the early 20th century Ismail building at Fountain (where the Zara store is), received permission to reconstruct it as it was, “without an extra square ft more or an inch higher”. “How is it that this new tower, just two buildings away from the Zara store, got permission?”
“This will open the floodgates for other towers… What heritage is Mumbai going to pass on to future generations?” said a local. An MHCC member said, “This was a unique case due to some problems at the site. We are generally reluctant to give permission to tall structures near Fountain. I don’t remember under what circumstances an NOC was given; only the deputy municipal architect would be able to answer this.”
Activist Zoru Bhathena said, “DN Road is the Heritage Mile of Mumbai. It is scandalous to learn that the heritage committee approved a new building with increased height, that kills the heritage (value) of the area.”
Pankaj Joshi, principal director, Urban Centre (Mumbai), said, “Permissions such as this can disturb the character of the Fort precinct, which forms an integral part of the two world heritage sites that are the CSMT and the Victorian and Art Deco ensemble. Any such deviation can risk the world heritage status of these sites.”
A person involved in the construction of the new tower, told TOI, “The heritage committee itself has allowed for the raising of the height… Besides, there are several buildings in the area, which have a height of up to 32 metres and Bisni is not the only building in the area to have this height. The owner of the building handed over space in his property to the BMC and received FSI for the same. The building is only about 1,000 sq ft on the ground and the height of the building is according to the norms permitted by the BMC and the MHCC. Besides, the MHCC has granted an NOC for the building.”
Deputy municipal architect Aparna Bhatte and MHCC chairperson Ramnath Jha did not respond to calls and messages from TOI.
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