India, May 8 -- The Bombay high court on Wednesday refused to halt piling work underway for a passenger jetty and terminal near the Gateway of India, saying the project pertains to public interest and staying the piling work would effectively halt the entire project. The court, however, clarified that all work on the project would be subject to the final order on the plea filed by the Clean and Heritage Colaba Residents Association (CHCRA).

The association had approached the court on Monday, seeking an urgent stay on piling work in the sea. The process of laying hundreds of concrete piles - entailing drilling into the seabed and erecting supporting columns - could cause irreversible environmental damage and structural risk to nearby buil...