HC directs MMRCL to reconstruct finial on JN Petit Institute bldg

The institute’s building, which houses a public library, is classified as a grade II-A heritage structure

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Thursday directed the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) to reconstruct the finial (ornamental device atop a building) of the JN Petit Institute, an iconic neo-gothic structure on DN Road in Fort. The nearly 100-year-old finial had collapsed in 2017 during drilling and construction work for the Hutatma Chowk metro station.

The court observed that the JN Petit Institute building and the surrounding DN Road precinct were of historical and architectural significance. (Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times)

The institute’s building, which houses a public library, is classified as a grade II-A heritage structure, accorded to buildings/ precincts of regional or local importance which are recognised for their special architectural/ aesthetic merit, or cultural/ historical significance. The structure was restored in 2014-15 and received the UNESCO Award of Distinction for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

In the petition, the trustees of the institute claimed that MMRCL and its contractor, Larsen & Toubro, had failed to install proper machinery for monitoring structural stability of the heritage building before commencing construction work. The work was halted after the finial collapsed in August 2017, and a four-member committee which subsequently probed the matter recommended that precautions be taken before work could begin again.

The court observed that the building and the surrounding DN Road precinct were of historical and architectural significance.

“Whilst the march of development and infrastructural projects cannot be halted in a city like Mumbai, such a march cannot be permitted to run roughshod over the concerns of preserving and maintaining heritage buildings for posterity,” court said.

There are good laws to protect ancient monuments, but implementation of the laws, as well as the protection of heritage buildings, was dismal, the court added.

The MMRCL agreed to reconstruct the finial at its own expense provided the trustees obtain all requisite permissions, sanctions, approvals and no objection certificates (NOCs) from the concerned authority. Accordingly, the court directed MMRCL to complete reconstruction of the ornamental finial within eight months of the trustees obtaining all requisite permissions.