Pune: The Moshi garbage depot tragedy has left nine families shattered after a massive heap of rain-soaked garbage collapsed onto the administrative building of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation's (PCMC) Waste-to-Energy plant on the afternoon of 8th July.
The victims included newlyweds, young fathers, sole breadwinners and workers who had travelled to Pune in search of a better life. The rescue operation continued for nearly 84 hours before all 23 trapped workers were accounted for. Fourteen people were rescued alive, while nine lost their lives.
Photos of all the deceased people in Moshi tragedy | Sourced
The Tragedies…
1) Mahesh Kumbhar: Among the deceased was 33-year-old Mahesh Suresh Kumbhar, an executive HR officer from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. He had completed his MBA in 2019 and had been working at the plant for just over a year. Mahesh got married on 22nd June and was planning to shift to a rented house in Chakan with his wife later this month. He had also been looking for a job in his hometown to stay closer to his family.
2) Sunil Korke: Sunil Korke, a 40-year-old assistant manager from Pandharpur, had worked at the Moshi plant for nearly 10 years. He usually took leave to participate in the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi every year but stayed back for work this time. He was having lunch when he heard a loud sound and stepped outside. Moments later, he was trapped under the collapsing structure. His son was born just 25 days before the accident.
3) Akshay Sawant: Driver Akshay Raju Sawant, 35, was originally from Raigad district. He had recently joined the waste depot and got married on 25th April. Just before the collapse, he sent his wife a message saying he was about to have lunch. It was the last message she received from him.
4) Sunny Mane: Another driver, Sunny Ashok Mane, 39, lived in Moshi and had been working at the depot for five years. He was the only earning member of his family and supported his parents, wife and two young sons. His mother had prepared biryani and asked him to come home for lunch that day. However, he stayed back after a senior colleague suggested the team eat together at the office.
5) Nagesh Gaikwad: Nagesh Sarjerao Gaikwad, 26, had come to Pune from Beed district for work. He had been employed at the depot for three years. Married for around one and a half years, he is survived by his wife, two young daughters and his parents. His family has appealed to the authorities to provide employment to his widow.
6) Waman Kasbe: Waman Dagdu Kasbe, 50, had also moved from Beed to Pune more than a decade ago. He worked as a plant worker and was responsible for manually clearing waste from machinery. His income was the main source of support for his family. His body was recovered last in the wee hours of Sunday.
7) Ranjit Patil: Ranjit Jaywant Patil, 22, from Karad, was one of the youngest victims. He had been working as a laboratory assistant at the plant for the past 18 months. His family, along with many others, have demanded justice and said this was a case of civil negligence.
8) Bhavesh Vani: Bhavesh Vani was the first victim whose body was recovered from the debris by rescue teams on the morning after the collapse. Originally hailing from Shirasoli village in the Jalgaon district, Bhavesh lived in the Rupee Nagar area of Nigdi (Pune) with his family. He was highly educated and worked as a Senior Accountant for Antony Lara Renewable Energy Limited, the private firm contracting at the plant.
9) Rahul Gaikwad: Rahul Gaikwad, 35, was among the seven recovered during the heavy excavation on Saturday. He was an administrative employee working on the lower floors when the structural pillars pancaked under the weight of the legacy waste.
The tragedy has also raised serious questions over safety at the waste-processing plant. Families of the victims alleged that workers had repeatedly warned the management about the unstable garbage heap near the administrative building, but no action was taken. They also criticised the pace of the initial rescue operation and questioned why heavy machinery was not deployed immediately.
The PCMC has announced an inquiry into the incident to determine whether there was any negligence. The civic body has also proposed financial assistance of ₹40 lakh for the families of those who died in the tragedy.
