'Unsafe, illegal': Indore tragedy foretold

INDORE: Amid the frantic race to save lives, the search for why, and the realization that the tragedy that swallowed so many lives could have been prevented.
Documents with TOI say the Indore Municipal Corporation had marked the well's cover for demolition, saying it was dangerous, but had to back down after being warned that it would hurt religious sentiments.
The stepwell was covered by tiles laid over an iron grille - incapable of holding the load of the crowd that gathered to offer puja on Ram Navami.
TOI has documents that suggest IMC was aware of the illegal constructions and the consequent danger at Shri Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple in Patel Nagar. After an exchange of notices, the IMC ordered the temple trust to remove the slab in seven days or face a forced removal and bear its cost. This was in the last week of January.
Two months passed, but IMC took no action, apparently due to a furious pushback by certain sections, who alleged that the corporation was acting on false information and risked flaring up religious sentiments.
"This is a matter related to a temple and we have to take note of the sensitive issue," IMC commissioner Pratibha Pal told TOI.
Temple trust president Sewaram Galani said, "Previous office-bearers of the trust had laid tiles atop the grill, forming a platform. But we could not fathom that such an incident could take place." Large crowds always gather at the temple, including on Mahashivratri some time ago, but no accident had happened, he added.
On Thursday, 40-50 devotees gathered for a havan on the platform that covered the step-well's 20-ft wide opening. The slab that had held up for too long gave way.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the question of why it happened quickly led to the closed files.
The bawadi had come under IMC's radar when it started restoration of all stepwells following an encroachment eviction drive last year. "The drive led to the restoration/conservation of around 360 stepwells," IMC executive engineer Sunil Gupta said.
On April 23, 2022, IMC issued a showcause notice to the temple trust, pointing out the illegal construction.
The trust replied that the allegations were baseless. "Restoration of the stepwell is proposed for the public use and making availability of clean and sufficient water. The trust is working on opening it," its reply went.
The show-cause notice "is hurting Hindu values and an attempt to fan sentiments of Hindu believers", the temple trustees told IMC.
Galani told TOI that the restoration work was being carried out at the temple in parts, by shifting the idols.
The tragedy prompted IMC officials to dig out old notices and complaint letters. IMC commissioner Pratibha Pal said "A probe is underway. IMC has decided to start a survey of all stepwells from Friday."