File photo of rescue workers looking for survivors after a wall collapse in Malad

MUMBAI: The BMC had spent Rs 21 crore to build the 2.3-km long, 15-ft tall wall around its reservoir near Kurar village in Malad (E), but it collapsed within two years of construction and claimed 26 lives. The civic body has initiated the process to issue a show-cause notice to the contractor seeking an explanation and also formed a committee, comprising IIT-VJTI experts, to probe Tuesday’s wall collapse incident.

Early Tuesday, portions of the retaining wall had collapsed at two points and swept away over 3,000 shanties at Pimparipada and Ambedkar Nagar , both areas half a kilometre apart. Most of the dead and injured were found in the drain or flood debris on the hill slope.

Sources said the BMC was trying to mislead the government by saying that it was not the water pressure , but landslide that caused the wall to crumble. Municipal commissioner Praveen Pardeshi was not available for comment. Even the contractor, Omkar Engineers & Contractors, was unavailable for comment over the phone. In December 2015, the BMC gave the contract to build the retaining wall to the Borivli-based firm for Rs 21 crore—a seven-storey building with 100 flats that can last for over five decades could be built at the same cost. The work was completed in 2017.

BJP corporator Vinod Mishra has written to BMC commissioner Praveen Pardeshi demanding that a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder be registered against the civic officials and the contractor holding them responsible for the tragedy. Mishra, who is also P-North ward prabhag samiti chairman, said, “The poorly constructed wall didn’t have any column support and it collapsed due to water pressure. This was followed by a landslide when the water gushed down.” According to sources, if the wall collapse took place due to a landslide, civic officials and the contractor cannot be held responsible as it is a natural calamity, but if the incident took place owing to structural failure, like the Himalaya foot over-bridge crash outside CSMT, criminal action can be taken against the officials concerned.

It was alleged that the boundary wall constructed around the BMC reservoir didn’t have enough space for water coming from hills to pass to drain on the hill slope. The wall blocked the water path that started to accumulate around it during heavy rain on Monday night. Some locals claimed that the water was spilling over the wall and it led to it collapsing early Tuesday.

Meanwhile, civic workers continued their search for the last missing victim, Sonali Sakpal (23), under the debris at Ambedkar Nagar on Thursday, even as they stopped the rescue operation at Pimparipada.

