It is the oldest cast-iron building in the country. Handsome, five-storeyed, built in 1869 entirely with material imported from England, the 130-room building was the first large hotel in Bombay named eponymously after its owner, John Watson.
The building stands today too on the busy Kala Ghoda Street in south Mumbai but barely. It is rotting from within, after years of neglect. Leaky pipes, haphazard wiring, bamboo beams valiantly holding up the ceiling, and moss covered outer walls effectively have erased the glory of the building. As for the famed cast-iron pillars from England, they are now rusting, corroded by natural elements and paan-spewing humans.
The once grand rooms have been turned into a warren of cubicles, let out mostly to lawyers working the city courts and the High Court nearby.
And, despite being listed a Grade II–A heritage structure, Esplanade Mansion remains untouched by the conservationists’ hand as the present owner, Sadik Ali, who bought the building about 35 years ago, the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) and the Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (MHADA) are locked in a battle over its repair.
Seven monsoons ago, MHADA classified the building as dangerous in its routine pre-rains survey and served its first notice on the owner and the occupants, stating that it needs immediate repair.
A proposal was sent to MHCC, but the heritage-body asked MHADA to replace the corroding iron structures with original material. This turned the salvage operation a costly exercise because the iron beams would have to be shipped from Australia.
In notices stuck on every floor in the building, MHADA estimates the repair cost at Rs 17.89 crore.
But Sadik Ali says, “MHADA is over-stating the cost. My engineers have proposed to undertake the repair at Rs 3- 4 crore. The repairs include strengthening and replacing of beams in certain places. Besides, MHADA buildings have a history of falling. How can we trust their engineers and architects?”
The occupants, while claiming that the building is structurally safe (based on a couple of structural audit exercises),say MHADA is hardly serious about the restoration and repair.
“MHADA had planned a phased repair of the building. But it has not even started with the repair of Phase-I,” says advocate B. K. Barve, who has a 200-sq. ft. leased office.
The story of Esplanade Mansion, once known as the swank Watson’s hotel, mirrors the plight of several dilapidated structures that hang on precariously amid the megapolis’ towering skyline. In the past three months, the city and its suburbs have seen at least as many buildings come crashing down. About a hundred lives have been lost in these mishaps .
Sadik Ali flaunts a one-page No-Objection Certificate request he made to MHADA to allow him to undertake repairs at his own cost by his own engineers.
But an executive engineer of MHADA on condition of anonymity said: “Though the owner has requested an NoC, it is not a proper one. There has to be detailed proposal giving the purpose, funds details, etc., but he (the owner) hasn’t paid heed to it. Just a piece of paper can’t be accepted for an NoC request. Besides, our panel of architects has to be taken on board. The owner hasn’t selected any of our architects to examine the issue.”
As the tussle continues and the building totters, it is business as usual for the occupants.