Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday granted an interim stay of two weeks on tunnelling work for the Metro 3 project as it is being carried out next to the 161-year-old JN Petit Institute, a heritage building in Fort.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice N.M. Jamdar was hearing a plea filed by the trustees of JN Petit Institute that said a portion of the library’s ceiling had collapsed on August 25 due to vibrations caused by the tunnelling work.
Advocate Fredun De’Vitre, appearing for the trustees, said the library is a heritage building and was built in 1856. He also said it is one the oldest libraries in Mumbai and the work for constructing the Hutatma Chowk Metro Station is affecting the structure. He added the vibrations exceed the permissible level for heritage buildings by four times (permissible level is 5 mm/sec).
The Bench said a team of experts from IIT-Bombay was carrying out a survey to assess the damage that would be caused to the 155-year-old High Court building, also a heritage structure.
The court has directed a committee be formed to assess probable damage due to the Metro work, comprising a structural engineer each from the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) and the JN Petit Institute, and experts from IIT-Bombay. It will study the effects of tunnelling work on the buildings and also suggest ways to continue with the work without damage. It will submit its report in two weeks.