Surat police have arrested seven individuals, including engineers, contractors and project officials, after the collapse of a newly constructed overhead water tank valued at ₹21 crore. The structure was intended to supply drinking water to 33 villages but failed during a trial run, leaving three labourers injured and prompting a criminal investigation into alleged negligence and construction lapses.
The overhead tank, which stood about 15 metres high, collapsed on Tuesday while it was being tested at full capacity. Nearly nine lakh litres of water had been filled into the tank as part of the trial process when the structure suddenly gave way. The tank had not yet been commissioned for public use at the time of the incident.
Following the collapse, police registered a case at Mandvi police station against the contractor firms and officials associated with the project. Those taken into custody include partners of Jayanti Super Construction Private Limited and its joint venture partner, Babulal Ambalal ki Pedhi, along with the project manager and site engineer from Mars Planning Pvt. Ltd., which served as the project management consultancy.
In addition, two engineers from the Water Supply Department have been detained for questioning. Deputy Executive Engineer Jay Chaudhari, who was responsible for supervising the project, is currently absconding, and police teams are actively searching for him.
Surat Rural Superintendent of Police Rajesh Gadhiya said the FIR has been filed under sections related to criminal breach of trust, cheating, and acts that endanger life or personal safety. He stated that the complaint names both the contractor companies and the officials tasked with oversight, adding that investigators are gathering technical evidence to determine accountability for the collapse.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has ordered strict action against all those found responsible for the incident. State minister and government spokesperson Jitu Vaghani said the Chief Minister had issued clear instructions to ensure that officials and contractors involved in the lapses are punished, while also stressing that quality standards must not be compromised in any construction project.
A preliminary inspection of the site has raised serious doubts about the quality of construction. Investigators observed layers of cement peeling off the collapsed debris, leading to suspicions of substandard materials and irregular use of cement and iron in the structure.
Local residents have alleged that cost-cutting measures and possible misappropriation of funds by the contractor may have significantly weakened the tank. They claim that warning signs were ignored despite the scale and importance of the project.
Deputy Engineer Jay Somabhai Chaudhary confirmed that the project had been awarded to Jayanti Swaroop at a cost of ₹21 crore and clarified that the tank was still undergoing testing when it collapsed. He said a detailed technical investigation would now be carried out, and further action would depend on its findings.
Executive Engineer Jay Chaudhary said an expert committee has been constituted to probe the incident. He added that a technical team from SVNIT Surat has been tasked with conducting a thorough investigation, and assured that strict action would follow once the report is submitted.
Samples from the debris have been sent for laboratory analysis, and experts from SVNIT, the Gujarat Engineering Research Institute and other technical bodies have been roped in to examine whether construction norms and tender specifications were violated. Officials have reiterated that any deviation from approved standards will be treated as a serious offence, and all evidence collected during the probe will be presented before the court.
