BMC mulls walks in heritage-rich Dadar and Parel

Dadar and Parel, among Mumbai’s oldest areas and home to buildings and relics steeped in history will soon have guided tours.

To promote the conservation of heritage structures, some of which are centuries old, and to boost tourism in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will soon start organising heritage walks in the two areas.

A few weeks, BMC workers stumbled upon a British-built milestone during road work in Parel.

The discovery has prompted them to make a list of other such structures in the area and plan a heritage walk route for citizens and tourists.

The walk could take you to the Haffkine Institute, one of the oldest biomedical research institutes in the country, named after the scientist who invented the plague vaccine.

It may also include the recently discovered milestone near KEM Hospital, the Mathura Bhavan where Dadasaheb Phalke — the father of Indian cinema — shot his first film and Ranjit Studios and other old studios that produced Bollywood films between the 1920s and 1970s.

“There are several milestones and heritage structures in the area, whose value has been lost because no one is aware that they exist. With these heritage walks, our aim is to restore their importance and also boost the involvement of citizens,” said VP Mote, assistant municipal commissioner, F/ south ward.

The BMC also plans to involve NGOS, historians and experts to guide tourists and citizens on these heritage walks.

“After the Parel milestone is restored and barricaded, we will submit a plan (for the walks) to the municipal commissioner for his approval,” said Mote.

The plan also includes clearing the heritage walkway of all encroachments and beautifying footpaths.