Updated On: 11 October, 2025 08:10 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
Conservation architects, historians red-flag fixing of metal plaques on walls of 19th-century CSMT structure in violation of guidelines

The plaque installed outside the vigilance office at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus; (right) This space was set aside for two printing offices, as per pencil drawings by CSMT’s architect Frederick William Stevens. Pics/Rajendra B Aklekar
The newly opened vigilance department office on the ground floor of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) has been inaugurated with a metal plaque bearing the name of the outgoing general manager, hammered right into the walls of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. His predecessor, too, had left behind a similar mark. A new toilet for staff has also been built in a corner of the building, all significant alterations causing permanent damage to the heritage façade of the building.
Also, while setting up the office for the vigilance department on the ground floor, irreversible changes have also been made to the iconic building, with the old and historic mezzanine floor and the spiral staircase demolished and removed, and the entire chamber upgraded with central air-conditioning.