Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse: Where does the buck stop?
The sudden collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, has led to government investigations. Questions surround the roles of the Indian Navy, PWD, and local authorities in the statue’s construction and maintenance. Initial findings point to material corrosion and maintenance lapses as likely causes.
By Santia Gora September 3, 2024, 9:34:36 PM IST (Updated)2 Min Read
The sudden collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue on August 26 has sparked widespread concerns over the construction and maintenance of the structure and many similar structures in the region. The statue, built under the supervision of the Indian Navy at Rajkot, Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Navy Day, December 4, 2023. The primary cause of the collapse has been identified as the corrosion of the fabrication material used to assemble the 637 pieces that made up the statue.
The government has constituted two committees to investigate the issue. The first, a fact-finding committee led by the Indian Navy, is tasked with determining the cause of the collapse and identifying those responsible. The second committee, headed by the Maharashtra Public Works Department (PWD), is responsible for overseeing the construction of a new statue of the 17th-century Maratha warrior, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
However, critical questions remain unanswered—most notably, who was responsible for ensuring the quality construction and ongoing maintenance of the statue?
According to sources within the Ministry of Defence, the Indian Navy’s role was limited to administrative oversight and the supervision of construction. The Navy was not involved in the day-to-day quality checks of the statue’s construction.
“The Navy was responsible for the statue until it was handed over to the PWD, Kankavali, Sindhudurg, following the first mandatory round of maintenance conducted by the private firm that constructed the statue,” a source told CNBC-TV18.
“In April 2024, the Indian Navy transferred responsibility for the statue to the PWD Kankavali office, along with a detailed maintenance schedule, including processes and focus areas. After this handover, it was the PWD’s responsibility to carry out maintenance, which was not properly done.”
Maharashtra government sources, however, have placed the responsibility for maintenance on the Sindhudurg District Collector’s office, rather than the PWD.
“The maintenance of the statue was the responsibility of the PWD department, not the Collector’s office,” a source from the Sindhudurg Collector’s office told CNBC-TV18.
Sources privy to the construction details told CNBC-TV18 that the sculptor Jaydeep Apte guaranteed a 200-year lifespan for the statue. He also guaranteed that the statue would easily withstand a wind speed of 150 kmph (the wind speed range during a cyclone). But the statue collapsed within 9 months of its inauguration when the wind speed was barely 45 kmph.
(Edited by : Ajay Vaishnav)
First Published: Sept 3, 2024 9:32 PM IST
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