A sudden structural failure in Surat's Bhimrad area has plunged more than 1,500 residents into a state of crisis, leaving them homeless overnight. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday night, involved the collapse of a retaining wall for a foundation pit at an adjacent construction site, jeopardizing the safety of the adjoining Shiv Residency housing complex.
Evacuation and Rising Panic
In response to the imminent danger, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Wednesday issued directives for the immediate evacuation of 192 flats across four towers. The swift order, however, sparked widespread alarm. Fearing for their safety, residents of an additional four towers, comprising another 192 flats, voluntarily chose to abandon their homes, significantly escalating the number of displaced families.
Frustration boiled over on Thursday as the affected residents organized a dharna at the site. They voiced strong allegations that their prior complaints about the risky construction activity had gone unheeded by SMC officials. "We became homeless in just a few minutes," recounted resident Suresh Patel, highlighting the chaos. "Our children are unable to attend school, and earning members cannot go to work because of this incident."
A Night in the Cold and the Cause
Eyewitness accounts paint a picture of terror and neglect. Resident Bharat Khandelwal described how his family fled their apartment after noticing cracks in the parking area. "We moved our cars and contacted the developer and SMC officials, but no one turned up," he said, revealing that his family was forced to spend the night outdoors in the winter cold.
Preliminary investigations by officials point to soil erosion caused by accumulated water in the nearly 50-foot-deep foundation pit as the likely trigger. This erosion led to the retaining wall's failure, which subsequently caused the ground beneath Shiv Residency's boundary wall and parking area to cave in, resulting in the collapse of a parking shed as well.
Response and Road to Recovery
In the aftermath, the developer of the under-construction Vivaan Residency, Raj Laxmi Group, has stepped in to provide temporary accommodation and meals in hotels for the displaced families. Meanwhile, urgent remedial work is underway. Authorities have begun filling the massive pit with soil, having already used over 1,500 truckloads to stabilize the zone.
"Work to strengthen the affected portion is ongoing, and the soil will be covered with cement. The area will be brought to a safe condition at the earliest," assured an SMC official. Concurrently, the corporation has initiated a crucial structural stability assessment of the entire Shiv Residency complex. The fate of the evacuated residents now hinges on the findings of an expert committee, which will evaluate the towers' safety before anyone is permitted to return.
