Mumbai: Split milestone at Dadar to be restored to glory, says BMC

The milestone VII on a footpath near Dr Antonio da Silva High School at Dadar. Pics/Atul Kamble

A historic milestone being restored by the civic body at Dadar West has been found to be damaged, worrying heritage activists. The BMC chief and architects working on it said a deeper crack had led to the breakage and it will be restored to its original glory.

The milestone VII outside Dr Antonio da Silva High School had remained buried under the footpath with only its triangular head sticking out. Heritage enthusiasts had been concerned about it when a blast had occurred a few metres away. The milestone appeared safe then.

The nearly 200-year-old stone structure with its broken top has now been removed and kept on the other side of the footpath.

An artist's impression of the milestone after its restoration

Sanjay Sawant from BMC's heritage cell said a major crack had developed on the top portion of the milestone and it split into two when the entire structure was removed. "The loose part was carefully taken apart. It will be safely kept till we join it to the missing stone component. Hence, it currently looks broken at the site," he told mid-day.

Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said he had inquired about the structure and was told that the restoration is in progress. The milestone already had a crack, he said, and added, "However, we will ensure that it is restored systematically."

Architect Rahul Chemburkar of Vaastu Vidhaan Projects, appointed as the conservation architect for the milestone project, said the stone marker is an important artefact and it would be fixed. "It is the natural process of restoration and the missing part of the stone is in safe custody. We are also preparing a notice explaining the same which can be put up on the site," he said.

The basalt stone milestone is among many mileposts that were built between 1816-1837. Originally three or four feet tall, they mark the distance in miles from St Thomas's Church - today St Thomas's Cathedral at Fort - that comprised the city-centre at the time.

1816-1837
Years during which stone milestones came up in city