Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has fined the contractor Rs. 1 crore after a construction rig collapsed during piling work at Maharashtra Nagar in Mankhurd on April 29. The accident resulted in the death of a police constable and caused major traffic disruption on the Sion–Panvel Highway. The action is being seen as a response to alleged lapses in safety and site supervision at the project.
Safety Lapses Found
The BMC had ordered an inquiry into the incident, with preliminary findings pointing to serious safety lapses at the site. A civic official stated that the rig toppled while being unloaded because the truck was parked on an uneven surface, adding that heavy machinery must always be handled on stable ground. The official termed it a clear failure on the contractor’s part. However, even after a fatal accident and major disruption, the BMC has chosen to retain the contractor’s work order, warning that cancellation could significantly delay the infrastructure project.
Police constable Santosh Gopal Chavan (48) died after being struck by a portion of a piling rig near the Tata Power House junction while returning to Nerul after completing duty in Chembur on Tuesday. The rig was engaged in flyover construction at the Sion–Panvel Highway T-junction, part of a broader project aimed at improving connectivity with the Ghatkopar–Mankhurd Link Road (GMLR).
Following the incident, the Sion–Panvel Highway witnessed prolonged congestion between Tuesday night and Thursday. Traffic diversions and narrowed carriageways further aggravated delays in the vicinity of the accident site. Debris from the collapse had spilled onto the carriageway, prompting barricading and triggering hours-long snarls that severely impacted peak-hour commuters. The debris was cleared by Wednesday evening, after which traffic movement gradually returned to normal, said an official.
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