Bombay HC Allows Mumbai Metro 3 Tunnelling Under Two Fire Temples, Dismisses Plea By Prominent Parsis 

The Bombay High Court is allowing tunnelling work for Mumbai Metro 3 under the premises of two heritage temples in Mumbai, reports Metro Rail News. The two temples - Atash Behrams, are the highest grade fire temples.

The construction will be under strict supervision to ensure no damage is done to the structures, the high court said and added that continuous monitoring and necessary precautions need to be taken with guidance from ‘scientific experts’. The petition was filed by Sukhadwala, a structural engineer and other prominent Parsis including a priest and a lawyer. They were seeking rearrangement of the Metro-3 to avoid going under the two heritage temples.

The high court bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice R G Karnik dismissed the petition filed against the tunnelling work, while also denying the stay order which was granted earlier in May. The MMRCL counsel, S G Aney, also opposed the plea of senior counsel Navroz Seervai for a two-week stay claiming, the TRM machine will cost them Rs 4 crore in loss per day if the work was halted.

As soon as the judgement is available, the MMRCL can commence the tunnelling work. The decision comes as a blow to Parsis who filed the petition and others in the Parsi community who were against the tunnelling work, under the two temples.

The high court appeared to accept the recommendations of an expert panel report from the VJTI college, which said the tunnelling work was permitted under certain safeguards, which will ensure there is no damage to the temples or the well water.