PUNE: A preliminary inquiry into the collapse of a three-storey building at the waste-to-energy project in Pune district that claimed nine lives has found that an occupancy certificate had been issued only for the ground floor at the company’s request.The Maharashtra government has set up an independent high-level technical inquiry committee to investigate the July 8 incident at the waste-to-energy plant in Pimpri Chinchwad’s Moshi area, news agency PTI reported.Separately, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has initiated criminal proceedings against Antony Lara Renewable Energy Pvt Ltd, the private company operating the facility.
FIR against company, inquiry panel constituted
Municipal commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi said an FIR will be registered against the company on charges of culpable homicide.He said the company prima facie failed to ensure adequate safety measures at the plant despite continuous heavy rainfall and did not take sufficient precautions even though a large mound of legacy waste stood next to the residential building that collapsed.The three-storey administrative building at the PCMC-run waste-to-energy plant in Moshi collapsed after a huge garbage mound crashed onto it like a landslide, killing nine people.Suryawanshi said the urban development department has constituted an independent committee to carry out a “fair and comprehensive technical inquiry” into the incident.The department has further recommended steps to prevent similar accidents in the future, PTI reported.The panel will be headed by divisional commissioner Sheetal Teli-Ugale and comprises the regional officer of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), DN Singh from the structural engineering department of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, and environmental and solid waste management expert Anil Kumar Dixit.The assistant commissioner (disaster management) will act as the member secretary of the committee, the civic chief said.“The government has constituted a completely independent committee to investigate the incident and suggest measures to prevent such incidents in the future,” Suryawanshi added.
Occupancy certificate only for ground floor
The commissioner said the civic body has also begun the process of filing an FIR against the company operating the waste-to-energy plant, alleging negligence that resulted in the deaths of contract workers.“The offence will be registered under provisions relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act and other applicable laws,” he said.Suryawanshi alleged that despite persistent heavy rainfall, the company failed to maintain safety at the site and did not monitor the stability of the adjacent garbage mound or take preventive action.“The company was expected to ensure safety at the plant. It should have monitored whether the garbage mound was becoming unstable during the heavy rains and taken preventive measures. Prima facie, these aspects point to negligence,” Suryawanshi said.He further said the preliminary inquiry revealed that the company had sought permission only for the ground floor of the building, and the occupancy certificate was also granted only for that floor.Suryawanshi said the responsibility for ensuring safety rested with the company.“The company had constructed the building, and, as per the agreement, plant safety was its responsibility. Therefore, the FIR will be against the company’s responsible officers,” he said.
Officials relieved, notices issued
He added that chief engineer Sanjay Kulkarni, who headed the department overseeing the waste-to-energy plant, has been relieved of all responsibilities with immediate effect.Executive engineer Yogesh Alhat has also been stripped of all departmental responsibilities, he said.The commissioner said show-cause notices have been issued to the company, as well as to Kulkarni and Alhat, directing them to submit their replies by 5pm on Tuesday.
Company terms incident an ‘act of God’
Mahendra Ananthula, group president of Antony Waste Group, had described the July 8 incident as an “act of God”.“This was something like an act of God, a natural calamity; somehow we could not, no one can predict it. The kind of rainfall witnessed over the last four to five days could not have been predicted. Similar incidents have occurred in different parts of the country over the past week,” he said.He informed the company would bear the full medical expenses of those injured and announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the family of each deceased victim through the company’s contribution and insurance policy.Additionally, the company said it would provide a full-time job to one immediate family member of each deceased victim and bear the educational expenses of their minor children.(With agency inputs)
