Mumbai: Metro-3 work is risking the lives of students studying in Siddharth College on DN Road, claimed Umaji Maske, the principal of the college.
The college authorities had submitted a formal complaint letter to the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation’s (MMRC) contractor Larsen and Turbo (L&T) after minor ceiling collapse, and cracks on tiles emerged. Meanwhile, the issue of the college receiving dirty water was solved by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). However, the MMRC claimed that the cracks were already there and have not been caused because of the metro work.
The complaint letter sent by the college read, “Your drilling activities have been damaging the structural condition of our college building in such a way that even tiles in the basement and some of the classrooms have cracked. There are instances of cracks in walls, pillars, ceilings etc.” The 126-year-old structure is a four-storey building, and it was last repaired in the year of 2003, said college authorities.
“We have not conducted the structural audit of the building due to internal disputes. Hence we do not know the status of this structure. Cracks have emerged in the basement, and the first floor of the building and the structure is damaged due to the ongoing work,” said Mr Maske.
When The Asian Age visited the site, we found that the MMRC’s crack measuring scale was fitted on several walls which had developed cracks. Along with the scale, the MMRC project manager, who is in-charge of D.N road metro stretch, has also notified the date to monitor the crack every day. According to him, 16 such scales have been adjusted in the entire college building. “The cracks were already there and has not caused because of the metro work,” said a senior MMRC official.
“We at, MMRC, would like to reiterate that the all the activities being conducted for Metro Line-3 are extremely safe in nature and are designed keeping in mind all the requirements of urban tunnelling,” said Mr S.K. Gupta, director (projects), MMRC.
