The construction of the Metro line has aroused concern over the potential damage to Parsi religious and heritage structures
Farrokh Jijina
"The apprehension that Bhikha Behram Well will run dry (due to the construction of Metro 3 Colaba-SEEPZ line) is misplaced,” according to publisher and chairman of the Kala Ghoda Association Maneck Davar. He narrated to Parsiana on October 24, 2017 that during the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival this year, he was approached by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) for permission to display a map of the configuration of the line. Curious to ascertain facts about the four sites on the route "that were of religious significance for us, I contacted MMRCL and had a long discussion with S. K. Gupta, director-projects on the subject,” he states. Believing that "it is imperative that the correct position on at least two locations be placed before the community,” he responded to Parsiana’s queries with a note.
"MMRCL is estimating the depth of the Bhikha Behram Well at approximately six meters (20 ft). Beneath that is a layer of rock which commences at seven meters (24 ft), beyond which water cannot permeate. The nearest tunnel... is 22 m away from the Well and the top of the tunnel is 18 m (60 ft) from the road level... As the entire tunnel network of 33 km is 60 to 70 ft below ground and through a layer of rock, the water table will not be disturbed and no well will be affected,” he notes.
In addition to the Well, concerns have been expressed about possible damage to the Seth Hormasji Bomanji Wadia Atash Behram at Princess Street, Zarthoshti Anjuman Atash Behram at Dhobi Talao and the Ardeshir Dadibhai Dadysett Agiary at the start of Dr D. N. Road. Regarding the Agiary, Davar notes that "here the tunnel is six meters (20 ft) away from the compound wall and thus is not a cause for any concern.” Davar believes that the trustees of the Atash Behrams will be in a better position to talk about those properties.
Top: Bhikha Behram Well and schematic diagram showing Well and tunnel; Above: schematic drawings
of Metro tunnels and the Ardeshir Dadibhai Dadysett Agiary and Seth Hormasji Bomanji Wadia Atash Behram
Wadia Atash Behram (left) Dadysett Agiary
"MMRCL is concerned about the sensitivities of our community... Let us not stymie a project, which will be good for our city, on some unfounded apprehensions and beliefs,” he states.
The MMRCL need to, at their cost, "support and reinforce the decorative pieces on the J. N. Petit Institute’s facade, recheck for cracks to the structure, and provide a dedicated machine to check for vibrations during construction,” Percy Wadia, assistant administrator at the Institute, informed Parsiana on October 18. This was mandated by a two-member Bombay High Court bench consisting of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice N. M. Jamdar in response to a report submitted by a three-member committee of engineers set up to examine the safety of the structure.
The bench also asked MMRCL to restore the decorative finial that fell from the Institute’s facade allegedly due to vibrations during construction (see "Metro: Halt for survey,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, October 7, 2017) after the line is completed. "We do not know how long that would take,” Wadia let on.
About appeals
The Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) has decided, after a meeting with structural engineer Jamshed Sukhadwalla that since "no one was taking any heed of the concerns Sukhadwalla had been voicing for so long (over the potential risk to the structures)...to approach... the Prime Minister...to express our concerns about the (Wadia) Atash Behram...to demonstrate how the building of the tunnel might affect its structure and destroy its sanctity,” BPP chairman Yazdi Desai told the mid-day of October 20.
An on-line petition seeking the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi started by activist Khushnood Viccaji and hosted on change.org garnered 10,871 signatures till October 25. It states that since "part of the tunnel will pass under the sanctum sanctorum where the holy fire is enthroned (in the Wadia Atash Behram)... the magnetic circuits will be breached and the negative forces of physical and spiritual pollution will attack the holy fire with full force, thus diminishing their spiritual powers.” It goes on to state that "if these holy fires are defiled, the backlash from nature will not spare those responsible.” Meanwhile, Wadia Atash Behram secretary Khurshed Mistry was quoted in The Indian Express of October 12 that they have "asked the MMRCL to show us the exact position of the tunnel... we will then take a call.”
Pervez Cooper, vice president of the Clean Heritage Colaba Residents Association has submitted a letter bearing the signatures of concerned community members to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, "explaining how the alignment will affect the sanctity of our centuries old temple.” On October 27, he told The Indian Express that "We had a positive meeting with him (Thackeray). He has assured that the matter will be discussed with higher level authorities and he will speak to the chief minister, if necessary.” None of the trustees of the BPP attended the meeting, the Hindustan Times of the same date commented. Going by the flurry of emails and WhatsApp messages this step has engendered, community members are divided over this move to approach politicians for help. A branch of the Shiv Sena has been behind the illegal occupation of a portion of land belonging to the Thana Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman for two decades. Some have questioned why the high priests have not spoken out, for or against the matter, giving a religious view on the same.