Metro work not to blame for cracks in Siddharth College: MMRCL

After strong tremors rocked structure, college principal had written to the Chief Minister requesting Metro work to be halted

Mumbai, Maharashtra, 18/09/2017: JN Petit Library, is one among the prominent architecture at Fort Area in Mumbai is facing the wrath of proposed Metro railways construction. The iconic structure has already lost one among the dome flower on the right side of the building which collapsed the due to the heavy vibration of the digging work and fearing more damage in the coming days. The Library was founded in 1856 by about a dozen students of the Elphinstone College living in the Fort Area in Bombay (now Mumbai) and was named the ‘Fort Improvement Library’. Ten years later in 1866 it was renamed the ‘Fort Reading Room and Library’ and its members numbered about 250. In 1891 the late Mr. Nesserwanjee Manockji Petit gave a donation of Rs. 25,000/- with the intention of perpetuating the memory of his deceased and only son the late Mr. Jamsetjee Nesserwanjee Petit who for many years was one of the Life members and a director of the library and had during his lifetime taken a very lively interest in its welfare and progress. The name of the library was then changed to ‘The J. N. Petit Fort Reading Room and Library’. At that time the library was located in a big hall rented for the purpose on the first floor of a house in Churchgate Street. About 1895 Bai Dinbai Nesserwanjee Petit donated a sum of about Rupees two and a half lakhs for a building to be erected in memory of her son late Mr. Jamsetjee Nesserwanjee Petit. The new building, in the present location, consisting of two storeys and one mezzanine floors, was inaugurated on 1st May, 1898. Photo: Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) held a meeting on Friday to address the concerns raised by students of Siddharth College of Commerce and Economics regarding high noise and vibration levels due to the ongoing digging and piling work for Metro 3 project.

On Thursday, the students of the college, a Grade-II heritage building located on D.N. Road in Fort, had organised a signature campaign on campus to bring attention to the cracks in the structure caused by the Metro construction work.

Following strong tremors in the building, Umaji Mhaske, the principal of the college, had written to the Chief Minister requesting that Metro work be halted. Mr. Mhaske said after the Metro drilling work began there were many instances of ceiling plaster crumbling and iron rods falling down in the building, which accommodates around 5,000 people. A part of the dome on J.N. Petit Library, founded in 1856 by students of Elphinstone College, collapsed following the Metro digging work.

However, the authorities said an assessment revealed that the cracks in the structure existed even before the Metro work began. Authorities said crack monitoring meters had been installed in the building to ensure existing cracks did not widen due to piling work.

‘Safety check conducted’

S.K. Gupta, director of projects, MMRCL, said: “We do a complete survey of all the buildings that fall within the 50-metre radius of the Metro work. It is a multi-layered process with protocols that conducted by experienced contractors, safety managers and engineers. A detailed report is prepared for every building mentioning the degrees of vibration, noise it will be able to bear. Every building is rated on a five-point scale. The project is designed on the report.”

However, Mr. Gupta did not reveal the ratings issued to J.N Petit Library and Siddharth College saying it would amount to violation of privacy of the owners. He said, “We don’t leave anything to chance but the people need to understand that every other building or house has cracks that does not stop them from staying in them. These are cracks that buildings develop as they age. Vibrations around heritage and weak structures have not even crossed 50% of the permissible limit.”

The MMRCL authorities said that piling work would be over by December-end following which the excavation work would begin. The project is estimated to be completed by 2021.