250 families shifted as building shows cracks in Maharashtra's Dombivli

Kalyan: About 250 families residing in Shanti Upvan Complex, Dombivli, in Thane district were evacuated after a building suddenly developed cracks late night on Saturday.
The reason behind the cracks is yet to be known but Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) officials suspect that substandard quality of work by the developer could be the reason. The building is not even 25 years old.
The developer, Rajendra Lodha, said it was handed over to the society years ago and the residents had failed to maintain and repair the building.
After the fire brigade evacuated the residents, KDMC, as a safety precaution, has decided to order all buildings in the complex to get a structural audit done.
Shaky building: Improper piling may be reason, audit ordered
On Saturday, at 9.30pm, residents of a building in Shanti Upvan Complex, Dombivli, heard a loud noise and immediately rushed out. Those living in the F wing noticed cracks in their hall rooms with soil coming out of the walls. Shivanand Tiwari, residing on the ground floor, told TOI, “I was sitting in my hall room when suddenly I heard a loud noise. The room was full of soil. Initially I suspected an earthquake and I ran outside with my wife and two children.” Tiwari who bought the flat 10 years ago said the building is just 23 years old.
Though cracks developed in the F wing, housing 42 families, all 250 families from the five buildings were evacuated by a rescue team. The fire brigade team evacuated some of the families, including a differently abled family by 11.30pm. An NGO called WAAR joined the rescue operation and saved a dog and a rabbit stuck in F wing. The rescue team helped families of children appearing for SSC and HSC exams from A, B,C, D and E wings in getting their books and study materials. The team could not enter the F wing because it had started to tilt on one side.
On Sunday afternoon, the rescue team also helped residents from all wings barring F to take their valuables. A KDMC team sealed the buildings, claiming they were not safe. Local MLA Pramod (Raju Patil), along with KDMC officials, helped residents to get temporary shelter in nearby schools and community temple halls. Patil told TOI, “As per my knowledge, all the buildings constructed in the complex between 1995 and 2000 used old construction techniques without proper piling. In the July 2005 floods, upto two floors were underwater for three days. The buildings may have weakened.” Patil said, “Residents should get a structural audit done and if the report says ‘not safe’, they should go for redevelopment”. Dr Bhausaheb Dangade, KDMC commissioner, said a structural audit of the entire complex has been ordered.