The BMC will take the call to open it after the monsoon, is a call the higher authorities and Mayor will take, said an official.
Restoration work of 153-year-old Flora Fountain is fast underway and will be completed by mid-August. Whether it will open soon, or the BMC will take the call to open it after the monsoon, is a call the higher authorities and Mayor will take, said an official.
“We are hoping to complete the work by mid-August, given that severe monsoons don’t pose to be a major challenge. heavy rains for the past few days affected the restoration work a bit,” said Vikas Dilawari, a conservation architect who has been appointed as a consultant in the restoration work.
The restoration work by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and funded by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) started in September 2016. The estimated cost of the project is around Rs 3.5 crores. The restoration for the first phase is Rs 1.5 crore while the second phase is Rs 2.2 crore. Around four to five conservators work there at any given time.
Flora Fountain was opened in the year 1869. Made of Portland stone, it was dedicated to then Governor Bartle Frere. R Norman Shaw was the designer of the fountain and it was sculpted by James Forsythe.
The statue has four celestial statues beside the goddess of flora. Steam is being used to clean and remove the paint and beautify the structure.
“After completing, we will hand it over to the BMC,” said Dilawari. An engineer from the heritage committee of BMC said, “The opening of the first phase will be decided by higher authorities and Mayor, it may or may opened during monsoon. The second phase, which is about beautifying the area around it will be done in basalt rock. We aim to complete the second phase by December. The Fountain area, however, will be kept open for people.”
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