Surat: The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has adopted a tough stance following the collapse of a retaining wall of a deep foundation pit at a construction site adjacent to Shiv Residency in Bhimrad, rendering over 300 families homeless overnight.

SMC Commissioner Shalini Agarwal on Friday ordered a high-level technical committee to investigate the incident and made it clear that no negligence will be tolerated. The committee will examine the exact cause of the collapse, identify construction defects, and determine whether safety norms were violated. The commissioner said further punitive action will be taken strictly based on the committee’s findings.

In the immediate aftermath, SMC deployed all technical teams at the site and began reconstruction work on a war footing. Construction of a new reinforced concrete wall is underway, and officials have been instructed to prepare a detailed Building Stability Report to assess whether Shiv Residency’s structures have suffered any internal or structural damage.

Commissioner Agarwal also warned that action will not be limited to builders or contractors, stating that any municipal official found negligent will face strict action. Senior civic officials have been deputed at the site to closely monitor the situation.

The crisis began on Tuesday night, forcing more than 1,500 residents to vacate their homes within hours. On Wednesday, SMC directed residents of 192 flats across four towers to evacuate. Panic spread thereafter, prompting residents of four additional towers to also move out. On Thursday, residents staged a dharna at the site, alleging that their earlier complaints had gone unaddressed despite visible warning signs.

Officials believe that water accumulation in the nearly 50-foot-deep pit caused soil erosion, leading to the collapse of the retaining wall. This, in turn, caused the soil beneath Shiv Residency’s boundary wall and parking area to give way, resulting in the collapse of a parking shed. Affected families were provided temporary accommodation and meals by the developer of the adjoining Vivaan Residency project.

SMC and the developer have since started filling the pit using over 1,500 truckloads of soil, while structural stability assessments of Shiv Residency are underway. Residents will be allowed to return only after clearance from the expert committee. DeshGujarat