Revival of ancient SoBo tank brings back pond animals

The turtles and the fish are perhaps feeling a bit cramped. The small tanks which temporarily hold them are no substitute for their bigger habitat, the ancient tank or pond on which the iconic two-storeyed, rectangular Juma Masjid near Crawford Market stands. The 222-year-old, 8 ft deep talao, accessed by masonry steps and used for ritual wazu or ablutions before the namaz, has been cleaned of its water, fish and turtles for the first time in three decades.

- Mohammed.Wajihuddin

“As the second wave of pandemic hit and places of worship were ordered to be shut, we thought to clean up the pond and check if the 13 springs that feed the 150 feet long, 90 feet wide and 8 feet deep pond are fine,” said Shoeb Khatib, chairman of Jumar Masjid Bombay Trust which manages the mosque, Bada Kabrastan at Marine Lines and a few other properties in the city. “It took three pumps and eight days to suck out the waters and remove 20 trucks of slush from the pond’s cemented floor.”