BMC set to refurbish two Worli watchtowers - Dolphin towers

There are two watchtowers in the Arabian Sea, precisely in shallow sea waters near Worli. These two watchtowers were built in the year 1991 and are better known as 'Dolphin Towers’. They have been operational ever since and are in need of maintenance. The towers have been guiding many sailors, fishermen and marine vessels. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to refurbish the two rusty watchtowers.

The BMC also has its Lovegrove pumping station in Worli, and with the help of this watchtower, the authorities can warn the sailors to maintain a safe distance from the outfall of the pumping station. Dolphin towers are two vertical columns with a pentagonal platform on the top. There is a metal ladder in the tower that officials use to climb upstairs.

Due to the location of these towers in the sea, they have got rusted in the last few decades. The railings at the top and ladders have been covered with rust, which has weakened the structure. The BMC will install rust-resistant ladders and railings and paintings so that they remain corrosion-free. BMC is also planning to install solar panels which will keep the towers illuminated.

A tender for the renovation will be floated after which a contractor should be appointed.  The installation will be carried out post-monsoon. The civic official said, “The structures like the new ladders and railings will be mostly fabricated structures, which we will construct in a workshop and install in the tower. The installation and painting works will take place mostly after the monsoon and in periods when there would be low tide.”