132-year-old tunnel discovered at JJ hospital in Mumbai

A 132-year-old tunnel was discovered at the government-run JJ hospital in Mumbai, an official said on Friday. The foundation stone of the 200-meter-long tunnel, built during the British era in India, mentions the year 1890, the official said.

The foundation stone of the tunnel was laid by Lord Reay, then Governor of Bombay, on January 27, 1890, Dr Arun Rathod, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, told reporters. The tunnel was found under a building which originally housed the Sir Dinshaw Manockjee Petit Hospital for Women and Children.

Archaeology department apprised

The hospital was later converted into a nursing college. The tunnel was found during an inspection of the building following a complaint of water leakage, officials said. Hospital Dean Dr Pallavi Saple told reporters that they have apprised the Mumbai collector and Maharashtra Archaeology Department about the discovery as the building is a heritage structure.

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Dr Rathod, who inspected the structure from inside, told reporters that it is 4.5 feet high and has several brick pillars. The entrance is sealed with a stone wall, he said. They entered after opening what looked like a sealed ventilation duct, three ft-by-three ft in size. There are many such sealed openings on the front and the rear side of the structure, he said.

“We inspected the nursing college building after complaint of water leakage. PWD engineers and security guards surveyed the building and found 1890 mentioned on the foundation stone, the official said. “Some staffers told us there may be a basement, after which we carried out further inspection and discovered the tunnel,” he said.

(With inputs from Agencies)