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Mumbai: Elphinstone bridge’s 1913 plaque damaged during demolition
Updated On: 07 November, 2025 02:11 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
Century-old Elphinstone bridge plaque from 1913 shattered during demolition, erasing a link to Mumbai’s railway past; officials had previously stated that the plaque would be safely removed and restored before dismantling began
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Lala Prajpati, a watchman in Parel, cleared the plaque of posters that have been stuck on it; (top) The damaged 1913 stone plaque on Elphinstone bridge. PICS/ASHISH RAJE
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Despite earlier assurances that the historic elements of the century-old Elphinstone bridge would be carefully preserved, the original stone plaque bearing the 1913 date and builder’s details has been damaged during demolition work. The plaque — inscribed with “Parel Bridge-GIPR-1913-Contractor Bomanji Rustomji” and “P & W Maclellan Ltd., Clutha Works, GIPR, Glasgow” — was one of the last surviving artefacts linking the bridge to Mumbai’s early 20th-century railway heritage.
Officials had previously stated that the plaque would be safely removed and restored before dismantling began. However, on-site sources confirmed that the plate was struck and fractured by contractors’ machinery while demolishing the stone abutment. Heritage enthusiasts and local residents have expressed dismay, calling it a “careless loss of history” amid the rush to clear the structure for the new double-deck bridge project.
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