Raj Bhavan calls IIT-Bombay for bunker audit

Raj Bhavan has decided to rope in IIT-Bombay to conduct a structural audit of the bunker that was discovered inside the official residence of the Maharashtra governor

Raj Bhavan has decided to rope in IIT-Bombay to conduct a structural audit of the bunker that was discovered inside the official residence of the Maharashtra governor. The audit will be conducted to check the stability of the structure and chalk out a comprehensive plan for its conservation.

The bunker, presumed to be a war room, was discovered by state officials on August 12 after they demolished a wall blocking the entrance(HT File Photo)

The expert committee constituted by the governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao,, has appointed a team of IIT-Bombay to conduct the audit.

The bunker, presumed to be a war room, was discovered by state officials on August 12 after they demolished a wall blocking the entrance.

The governor had constituted an expert committee in August to decide on the conservation of the bunker. The committee, in a meeting held on September 18, decided to rope in IIT-Bombay to conduct the structural audit.

Sources privy to the development confirmed the appointment. “The institute would have started work had the rains not hit the city. Work will start once the monsoon recedes,” sources said.

Going by the design and its structure, officials from the public works department (PWD) believe that the bunker is a one-plus-one structure.

The structural size and shape of the bunker will be confirmed after the audit.

The 150-metre long bunker has 13 rooms that experts think were used to store arms and ammunition by the British. It also has two hand-operated lift machines to bring out cannon shells and other ammunition and two emergency exits.

The committee has also sought suggestions from other engineering institutions such as VJTI and Rizvi College for preparing conservation plans of the bunker. The institutes have been asked to visit the site and prepare a presentation, an official told HT.