The tunnel got here to mild throughout an inspection following a criticism of water leakage

Mumbai:

A 132-year-old tunnel-like construction has been discovered on the premises of the government-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai, officers mentioned on Friday.

The 200-metre-long construction was discovered underneath a constructing which initially housed the Sir Dinshaw Manockjee Petit Hospital for Women and Children. It was later transformed right into a nursing faculty.

The tunnel got here to mild throughout an inspection of the constructing following a criticism of water leakage, officers mentioned.

The basis stone of the British-era heritage constructing was laid by Lord Reay, then Governor of Bombay, on January 27, 1890, mentioned Dr Arun Rathod, Medical Superintendent of the hospital.

Hospital Dean Dr Pallavi Saple informed PTI that they’ve apprised the Mumbai collector and Maharashtra Archaeology Department in regards to the discovery because the constructing is a heritage construction.

Dr Rathod, who inspected the construction from inside, informed PTI that it’s 4.5 ft excessive and has a number of brick pillars. The entrance is sealed with a stone wall, he mentioned.

They entered after opening what seemed like a sealed air flow duct, three ft-by-three ft in dimension. There are many such sealed openings on the entrance and the rear facet of the construction, he mentioned.

According to some former hospital staff, one other British-era constructing situated behind this constructing has the same construction beneath, however it was but to be verified, mentioned Dr Rathod.

The two buildings could possibly be linked by a tunnel however this was solely a conjecture at this level, he mentioned.

The constructing underneath which the tunnel was discovered was designed by architectural govt John Adams and inaugurated on March 15, 1892. The building value was Rs 1,19,351, Rathod mentioned.

The JJ Hospital campus homes a number of British-era heritage constructions.

“We are now planning to start a heritage walk through the hospital premises,” mentioned Dr Saple.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)