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23 families evacuated as Vasai building sinks during piling work
A residential building in Vasai East, Maharashtra, sank into the ground on Wednesday evening while piling work was underway at an adjacent construction site, leading the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC)…
A residential building in Vasai East, Maharashtra, sank into the ground on Wednesday evening while piling work was underway at an adjacent construction site, leading the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) to evacuate 23 families and demolish the structure on Thursday.
Shalom Apartment, a ground-plus-three-storey building with 23 flats constructed in 2012, had not been classified as dangerous before the incident. Officials said the B Wing began sinking as piling work for a project by Setu Van Infra progressed next door. Civic authorities, fire brigade personnel and Waliv police staff evacuated all residents as a precautionary measure before the building was razed.
Nilesh Mhatre, assistant commissioner of Ward G, said the building was not previously considered dangerous and that the adjoining piling work apparently caused it to sink. No injuries were reported.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The incident highlights the risks of rapid urban construction on Mumbai's fragile coastal geology, where loose soil and high water tables make buildings vulnerable to subsidence. Maharashtra's Slum Rehabilitation Authority and local bodies like VVCMC sometimes approve deep piling for new projects within metres of older structures, often without mandating vibration monitoring or structural surveys of neighbours. The 23 affected families now join thousands displaced annually by unsafe buildings in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, where the real estate lobby frequently resists stricter pre-construction impact assessments. The VVCMC's demolition was swift, but residents have no stated timeline for compensation or alternate housing. Watch for a public-interest petition in Bombay High Court seeking liability against the developer, the key test will be whether municipal approvals for the adjoining piling work included a mandatory structural impact study.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
