The newly constructed 15-metre-high water tank, built at a cost of Rs 21 crore under Gujarat’s Gaypagla Group Water Supply Scheme, crumbled when about 900,000 litres of water was filled for the first time during a trial run. Police on Wednesday arrested seven people.
The reservoir in Tadkeshwar village, part of a flagship scheme to supply drinking water to 33 villages in Surat, was built to hold 11 lakh-litres of water. However, it crumbled during a test run on Friday sparking concerns on social media.
One of the viral posts on social media said: “In Surat, Gujarat, the water tank collapsed the very first time it was filled with water. It cost 21 crore.”
Another said: “₹21 crore. 3 years of construction. Collapsed before inauguration during a test
run. This is the Surat water tank collapse — and it’s not just an ‘accident’.”
“Rs 21 crore water tank built for 14 villages in Surat’s Tadkeshwar collapsed during testing. Just imagine how many people turned into billionaires while building it,” said a third user.
“In Gujarat’s Surat, a 21-crore water tank collapsed even before its inauguration. The moment 15 litres of water were poured in, the tank broke and shattered like an earthen pot,” another added.
Following the incident that injured three labourers, Chief Minister Bhupender Patel ordered strict actions against the contractors and officials.
According to PTI, the Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board lodged a complaint at Mandvi Police Station and a case was registered under sections 316 (Criminal Breach of Trust), 318 (cheating), and 125 (Act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The Surat Rural police on Wednesday arrested seven people.
“Contractors of Jayanti Super Construction, Mehsana, the JV contractor, and the PMC agency Mars Planning Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad, along with site engineer and executive engineer of the Water Supply Department were arrested,” said an official release.
It added that a search has been initiated to arrest Deputy Executive Engineer Jay Chaudhari.
“Chief Minister Patel gave strict instructions to punish all the officials and contractors for the lapses. He also instructed not to compromise on quality in any construction project,” said state spokesperson and minister Jitu Vaghani after the cabinet meeting.
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