After high court’s advice, Mumbai Metro authority agrees to appoint experts to examine ‘damage’ to 2 Parsi temples

After being told by the Bombay high court on Tuesday, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) has agreed to appoint independent experts to examine possible damage to two Parsi temples caused owing to excavation and tunnelling for Metro-3 in south Mumbai.

These experts are from Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI). However, a bench of justices Abhay Oka and Riyaz Chagla deferred issuance of order to VJTI till Wednesday because of a difference between MMRCL and the petitioner, Jamshed Sukhdawala.

Sukhdawala has approached the high court, complaining that the ongoing Metro-3 construction poses danger to the structural stability of the two Parsi fire temples — Zartoshi Anjuman Atash Behram and HB Wadiaji Atash Behram near Metro Cinema in South Mumbai. He said tunnelling was also likely to make the wells at these holy shrines run dry.

According to petitioner’s counsel, Navroz Seervai, Metro construction may lead to the collapse of the temples. Walls of Jer Mahal Annexe, a nearby building in Kalbadevi, have collapsed because of tunnelling and construction Metro-3, alleged Sukhdawala.

MMRCL has, however, denied the charge, saying Metro work was 116 metres away from the collapse site.

MMRCL claimed that it has diligently following all rules while carrying out tunnelling. The apprehensions expressed by the petitioner were mere speculations, not based on facts, it said.

Replying to the claim of possible drying up of the wells at the Parsi temples, MMRCL said there is a sufficient vertical and horizontal gap between the Metro tunnel and the wells. It said the metro tunnel was 15 feet away from Zartoshi Anjuman Atash Behram and 42 feet away from HB Wadiaji Atash Behram