Ahead of the reopening of the renovated Flora Fountain, conservation architect Vikas Dilawari, who was hired to restore the fountain, told The Hindu that Flora Fountain was the most challenging project that he has ever worked on.
While Wellington Fountain, Mulji Jetha Fountain and Wadia Fountain, and Clock Tower took him around nine months, the Flora Fountain, he said, took nearly two years, because of the age of the structure and the challenges like weather and a defunct water management system. The renovated fountain will be unveiled by Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, South Mumbai MP, Arvind Sawant, and Yuva Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday.
A Grade 1 heritage structure, the Flora Fountain was built in 1864, depicting goddess Flora. Commissioned by the Agri-Horitculture Society of Western India, the fountain was sculpted in imported Portland stone by James Forsyth.
The architect said conservationists had to prepare a detailed report on what needed to be their attention and how they could go about with it. With no structural drawings available when they started work, they had to prepare drawings of the structure themselves. “Anatomical studies were done and old photographs were referred to before we started working on it and carved it in matching limestone.”
According to Mr. Dilawari, the erratic Mumbai weather was a challenge. While the team could work efficiently in the winters, it had to stop working intermittently during the monsoon. “When it rained, we just could not work comfortably. In 2017, the rain continued till October. Last year saw erratic rainfall too. We had to dismantle the scaffoldings during the monsoon. With the site covered, and gloves and jumpsuits on, the site would get unbearably hot during the summers.”
Mr. Dilawari said they had to understand the water management system of Flora Fountain. Having been built in an era that saw fountains being constructed out of philanthropy, he said the knowledge that they acquired while renovating the other three fountains was helpful.
“By the time, we started working on the fountain, the water management system had gone defunct. We had to discover where the walls were located and had to reach to fix it to regulate the water supply,” he said. While no data was available, they had to understand the structure on their own.
“We went inside after opening the central drum. We could see the old walls and repaired it. We found some leakage upstairs, removed old layers, fixed an old pipe that was leaking. At two-three places, the leakages were prominent. The head and neck of the goddess had to be conjectured, besides the arm and two palms that were missing,” he said.
At times, while the team could see leakages, it could not manage it. “Slowly and steadily, we removed the layers of the intervention on the fountain and could come to the spot where the problem had occurred. In one area, where there was a leaking pipe, we had to cut open into the area, locate the joint, and seal it.”
Mr. Dilwari said he got in touch with the Forsyth Brothers and another Scotland agency for help on the water management system. “I spoke to the grand-nephew of James Forsyth. He remembered it as one of the good works done by the brothers.” According to him, the fountain was built with meticulous planning and was once reworked on nearly five decades ago.
Though it will be unveiled on Thursday, work of restoration involving enhancing the surrounding area with a Bassalt stone base will carry on for another three- four months.
