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Restored BMC bldg's spire crashes

MUMBAI: One of the 'guldastas' or stone embellishments near the main dome of the newly-restored BMC headquarters fell to the ground during rush hour earlier this week. Fortunately, the finial, made from solid stone, did not injure pedestrians.

The structural strengthening and restoration work of the roof was completed only a few months ago with the large cracks filled in and the stone cleaned.

Around 6 pm on Tuesday, motorists and office-goers passing by the main entrance of the civic headquarters were shocked when a hard slab of stone landed a few feet away and split into fragments. At first, it was difficult to spot the exact location from where the portion had fallen off, but closer scrutiny showed the asymmetry in the stone embellishment. One of the smaller domes flanking the central gilded dome of the building was bereft of its crown.

Police constables and security guards manning the BMC headquarters' entrance ushered passersby away and informed the contractor.

The BMC's heritage department officials were unaware of the development until Thursday but promised to look into the matter.

Conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah as well as the contractor undertaking the restoration confirmed that a nine-inch portion of the original stone finial had fallen to the ground and that it would be replaced. Lambah said that the incident could have been caused by rain or lightning while the contractor's workers said "hairline" cracks resulting from years of wear and tear could be responsible.

The Rs-60 crore restoration and modernization project of the BMC building has courted controversy since the work commenced in 2008.

Reports of termite-infested wood being reused were refuted by the BMC's heritage wing while repeat instances of leakage have been attributed to faulty maintenance.

Rainwater has been leaking through various portions of the heritage structure. In fact, puddles were formed right outside mayor Shraddha Jadhav's office a few weeks ago. A similar fault was observed near the ground floor space that houses the office of the Unique Identification (UID) programme, reducing weeks of paperwork to pulp.

"These aspects are not related to the restoration project," said representatives of both the architect and the contractor. "A portion of the pipe above the mayor's office was blocked by garbage, causing water leakage in the corridor. The BMC maintenance department has addressed the issue. Like the spire that came off, these are things one would hardly anticipate," said a representative.

Stone Fabrication for Restoration and New Construction Webinar

The process of selecting and fabricating natural stone for restoration is complex. The speaker will first discuss the selection and matching process for limestone and sandstone supply, followed by site measuring techniques, templating and drawing requirements. We will take a virtual tour of a fabrication plant to see the high-tech machinery used to cut, turn and profile stone. We will also see the traditional hand-cut methods used by skilled cutters, carvers and sculptors to create one-of-a kind pieces. You will learn some of the terminology associated with this ancient craft and learn about stone as a sustainable building material. About the Author

Tim O’Toole is the Director of Marketing and Information Technology for the Mason Contractors Association of America. Tim joined the MCAA in June of 2003. He graduated from Elmhurst College in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science, and earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Webster University in 2009.

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