By Quaid Najmi

Mumbai, Jan 2 (IANS): In a swift move, Mayor Kishori Pednekar has halted the construction activities by a private builder near the historic Banganga Tank at Malabar Hill in south Mumbai, said an official here on Saturday.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) decision came after complaints by the Hindu Janjagruti Samit (HJS) and a local temple that the building's construction work was affecting the flow of the underground freshwater sources and polluting the Banganga Tank water.

"Taking serious cognizance, the Mayor personally visited the Banganga Tank site on Friday, inspected the area and then issued a stay on the construction activities there," HJS spokesperson Uday Dhuri told IANS.

He said that owing to the foundation excavation work for the building, the pure fresh water emanating in the Banganga Kund has turned completely muddy and polluted, shocking devotees and tourists alike.

"This building work has posed a danger for the historic water sources which could permanently disappear. Hence this work msut be stopped immediately and permanently," Dhuri said after meeting the Mayor along with representatives of GSB Mandir Trust and other Hindu organisations.

After the representation, Pednekar accompanied them for a first-hand assessment of the situation and inspected the tank site and the surroundings before ordering a halt to the construction activities.

"There are complaints, including from HJS that the pure water sources of Banganga Tank is getting polluted due to the ongoing construction works in the vicinity. Accordingly, the BMC 'D Ward' office has served a notice and asked to maintain status quo till the realtor submits the report of the geologists," Pednekar assured.

Accompanied by Assistant Municipal Commissioner Prashant Gaikwad and temple represenatives like GSB Mandir Trust President Praveen Kanvinde and HJS' Satish Sonar, the Maor emphasized the historical and cultural importance of the Banganga Tank and the need to save its natural water from pollution.

The civic officials said that after the geologists submit their report, a decision will be taken in the matter, and if the developer was carrying out construction work at night as alleged, he would be dealt with seriously.

Nestling like a green oasis in one corner of Malabar Hill amid lofty skyscrapers housing some of the biggest movers and shakers of India in different fields, the Banganga Tank is among the most important places of worship in the city, though barely a century ago, tigers roamed freely in this area.

According to one of the legends of its origins, there was no fresh water to anoint the diety Lord Shiva Pind (Shri Walukeshwar) which was made of sand by Lord Ram.

Since there was only saltwater of the modern day Arabian Sea on all sides, Lord Ram shot an arrow into the ground which brought fresh water of the River Ganga here. A pole in the centre of the tank marks the spot where the arrow pierced into the earth.

The 135-metre long, 10-metre deep rectangular historic water body thus got its name 'Banganga Tank' as a combination of 'baan' (arrow) and 'Ganga' (the river, which is located over 1,500 kms away to the north-east from here) and remains a revered place since centuries.

Adjoining the picturesque tank is a temple of Lord Shiva and other Hindu gods, besides the Shri Kashi Mutt, which attracted people from all over the country for darshan.

The Walkeshwar Temple and the tank were first constructed by the rulers of the Silhara Dynasty who ruled over modern-day Mumbai and surroundings between 9-to-13th AD, and the Banganga Tank was reconstructed in 1715 AD.

The HJS has said that the construction activity poses a danger to the very existence of this water tank and if it is not saved, it would launch an agitation for conserving it.