Although the locals blame the structural flaws of the wall which does not have enough weep holes to release water, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officers have claimed that the locals use these holes as a support to build their houses by putting bamboos in it and have even blocked the holes to prevent water from flowing in their houses. On Wednesday, the total death number increased to 26.
On Monday midnight, the wall of the Malad water reservoir collapsed, drowning many huts and crushing several house. The wall was built two years ago. The locals claimed that the wall did not have holes to release water, and by evening, the water started overflowing through the wall.
The wall collapsed due to the pressure of water. There was a 40 to 50-year-old wall that have overflow points, which were absent in the new wall, claimed a local resident. On the other hand, the BMC officials claimed that the structure had enough holes. An officer from the P North Ward office said, "We came to know that some people had put a pipeline through the wall to release their bathroom water on the other side of the wall, and thus blocked them."
The rainfall was so heavy that the water eroded the land and the wall collapsed due to a landslide.
Prabhat Rahangdale, Chief of Mumbai Fire Brigade said that the rescue operation is still going on after 36 hours of the incident, and it is difficult to cut the massive wall and rescue people underneath. Local MLA Sunil Prabhu told that the people were staying on the forest land. The case was going on in the High Court and some of them got homes in Chandivali. While the others were waiting for their turn, the incident happened. The rescue operation is going on and the remaining part of the wall will be demolished shortly.
On The Other Side
- The wall was built two years ago
- The locals claimed that the wall did not have holes to release water and collapsed due to the pressure of water
