Moshi garbage depot collapse: Death toll rises to nine; rescue operation ends

The fiveday rescue operation at the Moshi Garbage Depot has ended after rescuers recovered one more body from the debris on Sunday taking the death toll to nineThe tragedy unfolded on July 8 when a massive garbage mound collapsed onto the administrative building of the WastetoEnergy project at the landfill site Fourteen people were rescued or escaped while nine workers lost their livesOfficials said 23 people were inside or around the building when the collapse occurred Five workers escaped immediately after the incident while rescue teams pulled nine others out alive during the operationThe incident has triggered serious concerns over waste management practices urban planning environmental compliance and civic accountability in PimpriChinchwad one of Indias fastestgrowing citiesExperts believe heavy monsoon rain destabilised the towering landfill creating lateral pressure that caused the garbage mound to collapse onto the buildingWaste managementEngineers and members of the Pradhikaran Nagari Suraksha Kruti Society PNSKS have alleged that the disaster resulted from multiple violations of the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016According to their preliminary findings the landfill had reportedly grown beyond 60 metres in height far exceeding the prescribed limit of 20 metresThey also alleged that no retaining wall had been built to prevent garbage slides the administrative building had been constructed too close to the landfill in violation of mandatory buffer zone norms and fresh waste continued to be dumped despite regulatory concernsPCB warnings allegedly ignoredThe Maharashtra Pollution Control Board MPCB had reportedly issued notices to the PimpriChinchwad Municipal Corporation PCMC earlier this year after identifying the Moshi landfill as a major methane emission hotspotAccording to the allegations the notices instructed the civic body to stop fresh dumping implement biomining install methane monitoring systems and strengthen fire safety measuresCritics claim that despite these warnings around four lakh tonnes of additional waste accumulated at the site increasing the risk of a major accidentQuestions over administrative buildingThe collapse has also raised questions about the legality of the administrative building that was destroyedOfficial records reportedly permitted only a singlestorey structure However the building that collapsed allegedly consisted of a ground floor and two additional floorsInvestigators are expected to examine whether the extra floors were constructed without approval and whether officials failed to act against the alleged violationsCalls for criminal actionBased on the preliminary technical assessment PNSKS has called for criminal proceedings against the contractor and municipal officials responsible for the projectThe organisation has argued that if safety failures including the absence of a retaining wall are confirmed offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS including culpable homicide and endangering human life should be consideredIt has also demanded action under labour safety laws alleging that workers were required to operate in unsafe conditions despite known risksThe tragedy has renewed debate over the challenges of managing rapid urban growth in PimpriChinchwadAlthough authorities had announced plans to clear legacy waste through biomining and the WastetoEnergy project by the end of 2026 the landfill reportedly continued to expandUrban planning experts say the disaster highlights the risks of delayed infrastructure poor enforcement of environmental regulations and inadequate waste managementCompensation and inquiry orderedPimpriChinchwad Municipal Commissioner Dr Vijay Suryawanshi has announced financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh for the family of each of the nine victimsThe Municipal Commissioner has also ordered the issuance of showcause notices to the PCMC Environment Department and project contractor Anthony Lara Renewable EnergyA detailed inquiry has been ordered to determine the circumstances behind the collapse and fix responsibility for the disaster