Ghaziabad: Shuttering collapse incident, a case of ‘human error,’ says inquire-committee report

Human error is likely to blame for eight construction workers on a “Jal Jeevan Mission” project getting injured after falling from a height of 20 metres in Muradnagar on February 16, a committee to probe the incident has found. The report said that the workers failed to properly tie the shuttering.

The incident took place at the Ukhlarsi cremation ground, where 24 people were killed during a roof collapse incident on January 3, 2021.

“The report prima facie said that there was error on the part of workers at the site as they could not properly tie up the shuttering, and this led to collapse. Further, the committee has also recommended sampling of construction material used in the building and soil-testing at the site for a detailed investigation,” said district magistrate Deepak Meena, who constituted the committee, also comprising the sub-divisional magistrate of Modinagar, and one engineer each from the public works department and the Muradnagar Nagar Palika.

On February 16, shuttering above an under-construction water tank, being built as part of the “Jal Jeevan Mission”, a central government scheme to provide tap water to households, collapsed, resulting in the eight workers falling from a height of 20 metres.

Police took cognizance and registered a first information report against two officials of the construction company for alleged negligent acts and also acts causing grievous hurt.

The FIR was lodged under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 290 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings, etc), 125(a) (acts that endanger human life or personal safety due to negligence or recklessness) and 125(b) (rash and negligent acts causing grievous hurt) at Muradnagar police station.