Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday vacated the stay imposed by it on drilling and tunnelling work near the the 119-year-old JN Petit Institute and Library, a heritage building, for the proposed Metro-3 line. The direction came after the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) submitted that it has implemented all suggestions by a court-constituted committee.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice M.S. Sonak directed MMRCL to ensure no damage is caused to heritage buildings in the area. In September, the Institute’s trustees had filed a plea alleging tunnelling work was damaging the foundations of several heritage buildings, including its own library and garden. Based on this, the HC had restrained MMRCL from carrying out drilling and excavation work in and around the building.
In the last hearing, the court had directed a committee be formed, comprising a structural engineer each from MMRCL and J N Petit Institute, and experts from IIT-Bombay to study effects of tunnelling work on the buildings, and suggest ways to continue without damaging them.
While vacating its stay, the HC directed the committee to continue monitoring Metro work in the area.
