The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) has confirmed that the tunnelling work for the underground Metro-3 corridor, connecting Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ, does not threaten the structural stability of the St Xavier's College in Fort. The MMRC has said that the heritage building, which is more than 150 years old, is located at a distance of almost 100 metres from the Metro-3 construction site.
The MMRC's confirmation comes after St Xavier's College said that its geology department would approach MMRC to know whether the work would affect the building's structural stability.
A senior official from MMRC said, "Authorities from St Xavier's College had spoken to us and we assured them that the building's structure will not be affected by our tunnelling work. We have a buffer of 25 metres and we are surveying all structures within a radius of 50 metres. There is no possibility of the work affecting the structural stability of the college."
Taking into account the fact that the tunnelling work is likely to result in vibrations, the MMRC is carrying out pre-construction surveys of the buildings and structures parallel to the alignment of the Metro-3 corridor.
On September 9, DNA reported that the geology department of St Xavier's College would be approaching MMRC authorities regarding the work threatening the building's structure.
Recently, the Bombay High Court put a stay on tunnelling work for the Metro-3 corridor in the Fort area after the 119-year-old JN Petit Institute Library, situated at DN Road, approached the court against the MMRC.
Owing to the several heritage and dilapidated buildings in the south Mumbai stretch between Colaba and Girgaum Chowpatty, the MMRC had also carried out a study in which 1,435 buildings along the corridor's alignment were identified as vulnerable to the underground Metro-3's construction work.
DANGER OR NOT?
- The Metro-3 work is currently underway opposite the college, inside Azad Maidan.
- Recently, the Bombay High Court put a stay on tunnelling work for the Metro-3 corridor in the Fort area after the 119-year-old JN Petit Institute Library, situated at DN Road, approached the court against the MMRC.
