Forts in Mumbai need urgent restoration

MUMBAI, July 20: Once impregnable by military standards, the forts in the bustling commercial capital of the country have withstood the ravages of time for centuries. Today, developmental activities threaten their existence. The latest victim is the six-century-old Mahim Fort which has developed several cracks in its foundation. ccording to conservation experts, the reclamation work underway for the !andra"orli sealink has led to the cracks. Though reclamation is posing a threat, the Mahim Fort also faces problems from encroachment by bamboo and scrap traders who use it for their activities, says conservationist #harda $iwedi. The Mahim Fort was built by the then !ombay %overnor %erald ungier &'(()-**+, considered the founding father of the island city, on the mouth of Mahim ,reek at the southern end of the present Mahim causeway. Overlooking !andra, it had strategic importance as a defence post against possible attacks by the -ortuguese in .asai and later the Marathas who owned salsette. Mahim Fort was further strengthened and small fortifications were built around it by #ir Thomas %rantham in '(/0 when he held the possession of !ombay. "hat remains of the fort today are the mighty rampart walls towards the Mahim ,reek. They are distinctly visible from Mahim causeway as well as from !andra reclamation area. "oods and coconut groves, besides rice fields, which once abounded in Mahim, have long vanished and the only redeeming feature is the nature park here where mangrove cultivation has been successful. 1n '**2, the -ortuguese had ventured to fire on Mahim Fort, but the englishmen retaliated by shelling which hit the church at !andra. The triple-bastioned fort had '33 soldiers and 43 guns for its defence, according to $r 5 5 ,haudhari, the former executive editor to the %a6etteers $epartment. ,onservationists say reclamation has rendered the mouth of inter-tidal Mahim ,reek narrower, diverting water towards the fort. 1t has also resulted in changes in the level of sea water which is now diverted to the Mahim-"orli coastal belt. Mahim Fort is not the only fort in the city which is facing problems. The #ion Fort, "orli Fort, #ewri Fort, Ma6agon Fort as well as $ongri 7ill Fort and the !ombay castle too face similar problems. The #ion 7illock Fort has become a haunt of college students, and at night drug addicts take over. 8#ion9 is a portuguese corruption of Marathi word 8#hiva9, which means a boundary or a limit. #ion village was the boundary between !ombay 1sland and #alsette &#asthi+. 1t was built by %overnor ungier on the top of a ,onical 7illock, now situated a few metres away from the #ion :ailway #tation on the ,entral :ailway. 1renically, situated at the base of the 7illock, is the Mumbai !ranch Office of the rcheological #urvey of 1ndia & #1+.

This '*th century fort overlooks the salt pans in the ,reek beyond and the :ashtriya ,hemicals and Fertilisers Factory. #ince it is a spot for #unday picnics, revellers at times engage in graffiti on the surfaces of the edifice. The "orli Fort, built by -ortuguese, is on the headland ;utting into the Mahim !ay. 1t was provided with a cannon and armed with seven to eight guns and manned by an ensign and 2< soldiers. The old "orli Fort has almost been =uarried and levelled and housing complexes have surfaced there. 1n '/)(, it had a few roads and now it is one of the posh areas of Mumbai. The hill on which #ewri Fort stands has also been =uarried. !ut the ruins of the small fort can be still seen. The cannon on the fort had thwarted the -ortuguese invasion on the coastal stretch between #ewree and #ion in '**2. >adi #akat of ?an;ira island had earlier con=uered #ewri and Ma6agon forts in '(/). This fort had a garrison of <3 sepoys under a #ubedar and was e=uipped with eight or ten guns. The Ma6agon Fort and $ongri Fort are also threatened. &@A1+