MUMBAI, June 19 -- The BMC and the Customs department on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conserve and restore the historic Mahim Fort, paving the way for the revival of one of Mumbai's oldest surviving forts. The MoU was signed at the BMC headquarters in the presence of municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide, additional municipal commissioner Ashwini Joshi, principal commissioner of Customs Ajay Kumar Pandey, heritage conservation architect Vikas Dilawari, and structural engineering experts from Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI). Although the fort remains under the ownership of the Customs department, the agreement authorises the civic body to restore, strengthen and conserve the Grade I protected monument with an initial allocation of Rs.20 crore. As part of the restoration, the BMC will strengthen the weakened portions of the fort, reconstruct collapsed sections using heritage conservation principles, excavate and restore a historic well inside, develop an internal pedestrian pathway around the fortification, and construct protective retaining walls to safeguard its foundations from coastal erosion. Speaking after the signing, municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide said that conserving Mahim Fort was a matter of pride for the BMC. She noted that after clearing encroachments and rehabilitating 275 eligible families living inside the fort, the restoration would help restore the monument's historical grandeur. Additional commissioner Ashwini Joshi said that after years of efforts to remove encroachments and prepare the site for conservation, the administration would develop the fort as a heritage tourism destination....