Crawford market’s interior will be built on lines of Smithfield mart in London.
The 139-year-old Crawford Market, one of Mumbai’s most attractive heritage buildings and an architectural marvel, has geared up for the first phase of restoration after the controversy over the redevelopment issue.
The Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) has given permission for restoration of the interiors of the heritage building on the lines of Smithfield municipal meat market in London, which was built in in 1868, a year before Crawford market. Smithfield is similar to Crawford Market in size and architecture and it belongs to the Municipal Corporation of London.
The restoration of Crawford Market includes roof repairs and structural works. The tenders for phase I will be floated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) after the assembly polls. Phase I will cover restoration work on the front heritage building which has the fruit, vegetable and provision markets and the clock tower.
“We are still on a drafting board. All vendors will have kiosks, upgraded in design, and will be created in a uniform pattern. The market department is assessing the viability,” said Abha Narain Lambah, conservation architect appointed for the restoration work. BMC has planned to spend Rs3 crore to Rs5 crore for the Crawford Market restoration this year.
“The idea is to upgrade the facilities for shopkeepers and bring up the level of services. We intend to give them a roof that doesn’t leak, better drainage systems, electrical conduits, a clean market and also a safe one from the point of view of public health,” said Lambah. For restoration of the vintage clock, Lambah, along with the markets department of the BMC, are in talks with a family of restorers in Dhrangadara in Gujarat, who are experts in restoring heritage clocks.
There have been complaints of water leakage during the monsoons. “Water drips from the roofs and one needs an umbrella even inside. The vendors have to stand in knee-deep water. The toilet area is teetering on props and the drainage system has gone for a toss. Every generation of vendors has added conduits in electrical connections. There is a lot of flammable stuff left out in the open,” said Lambah.
The market is busy throughout the week. But there are no sufficient ingresses and there is no fire fighting mechanism available. The civic body is collating information on how many electrical connections need to be given and will give priority to make the building safe, said Lambah.
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