- A 132-year-old tunnel has been discovered in the government-run JJ Hospital.
- The 200-metre-long tunnel was discovered under a former hospital unit that is currently being converted into a nursing college.
- The colonial-era tunnel was not opened until a hole was discovered in the exterior of the nursing college building that led a medical officer to the basement.
A 132-year-old tunnel has been uncovered at the government-run JJ Hospital in Byculla, Mumbai. Built during the British era, the 200-metre-long tunnel was discovered beneath a former hospital unit that is currently being converted into a nursing college. The foundation stone of the JJ Hospital Tunnel indicates that it was built in 1890.
After that we inspected the nursing college building. [a] Complaints of water leakage PWD engineers and security guards surveyed the building and found a mention of 1890 on the foundation stone,” a representative told the political party.
“Some staff told us that there might be a basement, after which we did further inspection and discovered the tunnel,” he explained.
In Mumbai, the nursing complex is located on the premises of JJ Hospital and Grant Medical College.
According to media reports, JJ Hospital Dean Dr Pallavi Saple said that the management was always aware of the tunnel running under the nursing facility.
However, the colonial-era tunnel was not uncovered until a hole was discovered in the exterior of the nursing college building that led a medical officer to the basement.
The foundation stone of the Grand Medical College building was laid. Two years later, in 1845, one of the oldest medical institutions in South Asia opened its doors.
A grant of one lakh rupees from the inventor and philanthropist Sir Jamshet Jijibhai resulted in the simultaneous establishment of a “School of Practice”, later named JJ Hospital. The foundation stone of the hospital was laid on January 3, 1843.
The Collector’s office and the Archeology Department will then start the search for the tunnel based on the information obtained during the preliminary investigation.