New Water Tank Worth Crores Collapses in Surat, 3 Labourers Injured

Surat: A new water tank constructed at a cost of crores collapsed even before its inauguration in the Tadkeshwar village of Areth in Gujarat. The tank had a capacity of 11 lakh liters. Three labourers were injured in the incident and are undergoing treatment. The incident has raised questions about corruption and the quality of materials used to construct the tank.

Officials said that 9 lakh liters of water were filled in the tank for testing at noon when the structure gave away. The officer and the contractor were not present at the spot at the time of the incident. The tank was supposed to be part of a project aimed at supplying drinking water to 33 villages in the Surat district under the state's “Gaypagla Group Water Supply Scheme.”

The 15-metre-high tank collapsed during a trial run on Monday, leading to panic in the area. 

The Probe

According to a report, the Deputy Engineer of the Surat Water Supply Department, Jay Somabhai Chaudhary, said that the project was awarded to an agency named ‘Jayanti Swaroop’. He assured that a detailed technical investigation would be conducted by engineers.

Executive Engineer Jay Chaudhary had reportedly said that a team of engineers from the SVNIT (Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology), Surat, has been assigned to probe the incident. 

“Strict action will be taken against the contractor once the investigation report is submitted,” he said.

What Locals Say

Local villagers say that they had been waiting for nearly three years hoping that they would finally get clean drinking water. One of the villagers said that if the tank had collapsed after its inauguration, many lives could have been lost. Villagers are demanding criminal action against the corrupt officials and contractors involved in the project.

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