The East-West Metro authorities will have to seek the state disaster management department’s opinion before resuming the tunnel boring work between Bowbazar and Sealdah, Calcutta High Court on Friday said.

The division bench of chief Justice T.B.N. Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee asked the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC), the implementing agency for the East-West Metro, to submit a report by January 7.

The East-West Metro aims to connect Salt Lake’s Sector V and Howrah Maidan via a stretch under the Hooghly.

Work between Bowbazar and Sealdah has remained suspended since August 1 when one of the two tunnel boring machines hit an aquifer, leading to subsidence in the Bowbazar area.

The court had directed the KMRC to resume tunnel boring work only with its permission, following a PIL by residents of the Bowbazar area.

Friday’s order came after the KMRC sought the court’s permission to resume work. Officials of the agency told the court that a committee of its experts had said tunnel boring could be resumed and that there was no fear of further accidents.

Advocate general Kishore Dutta told the court that the government had no objection if the KMRC wanted to resume work in the Bowbazar area.

The bench asked the KMRC to get the report validated by the state disaster management department.

The judge asked Saptangshu Basu, the counsel appearing for the Bowbazar residents, to seek their clients’ opinions, if any, by January 7.