A detailed investigation by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has held the Reliance Infrastructure–Astaldi Joint Venture (RAJV) responsible for the February 14 accident in Mulund, where a precast parapet segment collapsed onto vehicles below, killing one person and injuring three others.
The inquiry report, prepared by MMRDA’s Director (Projects) Basavraj M Bhadragond and submitted to Commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee last week, cited multiple failures on the part of the contractor. These included procedural shortcuts, unsafe practices, and negligence by key personnel such as the welder, site supervisor, and engineer. The report assigns responsibility not only to the contractor but also to the welder, site supervisor, site engineer, and project manager.
As per the findings, precast parapet segments used in elevated corridors must be temporarily secured with metal fasteners, which should only be removed after the segment is permanently bonded to the carriageway using construction adhesive. However, at the Mulund site, the 6 ft by 4 ft parapet segment weighing 1.8 tonnes was installed on the night of February 13 and held in place with temporary fasteners. The following day, these supports were mistakenly cut before the segment was properly secured.
“On February 14, the engineer instructed the site supervisor to assign to the welder the task of cutting the hook of casted stitched parapets only…The welder cut the parapet’s hook without ensuring proper stitching and support and without informing the concerned supervisor. This caused the 1.8-tonne parapet to become unstable and fall onto the road,” the report said.
While no structural or material defects were found in the segment itself, the probe highlighted serious lapses in supervision and protocol, including the absence of joint inspections, lack of written approvals, and failure to implement a marking system for completed structures.
Following the incident, MMRDA imposed a Rs 5 crore penalty on RAJV and fined the General Consultant consortium Rs 1 crore, terminating its services on February 18. The deceased’s family received Rs 39.5 lakh in compensation, while Rs 27.59 lakh was spent on treating the injured. Reliance Infrastructure did not respond to queries on the findings.
Source: Hindustan Times
