Civic body blames rain for Moshi building collapse, demand for FIR cuts across party lines

4 min readPuneJul 10, 2026 10:16 PM IST

The accident occurred on July 8 when, amid heavy rain, a portion of the waste mountain at the Moshi garbage depot collapsed onto the administrative building of a waste-to-energy project. (Express Photo by Soham Shah)

Even as the eight persons buried under the debris of the collapsed three-storey building at the Moshi garbage depot remained untraced till Friday afternoon, angry relatives confronted civic officials, while the Sharad Pawar-led NCP demanded that an FIR be registered against Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) officials and contractors for alleged negligence. The NCP’s Pimpri-Chinchwad unit, led by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, also backed the demand.

Municipal Commissioner Vijay Suryavanshi, who visited the accident site on Friday afternoon, was confronted by relatives upset over the speed of the rescue operation and the alleged lack of updates from the administration.

“We have sped up the rescue work and all efforts are being made by multiple agencies to trace those missing,” the civic chief assured them.

Meanwhile, several political leaders visited the accident site to review the rescue operation and interacted with the families of the missing persons.

Shirur MP Amol Kolhe of the NCP (SP) alleged that the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board had repeatedly alerted PCMC officials about the dangers of constructing the administrative building close to the garbage mound.

“I have information that the pollution board repeatedly alerted the PCMC. Besides, a garbage mound can only rise up to 25 metres, but the one that collapsed was much higher than the stipulated limit. A case of negligence should be registered against civic officials and contractors,” Kolhe said.

Like Kolhe, the Sunetra Pawar-led NCP also demanded the registration of an FIR against officials and contractors.

Story continues below this ad

“It is clear that the three-storey structure was constructed in close proximity to the garbage heap, which was an invitation to disaster,” said PCMC Leader of Opposition Bhausaheb Bhor of the NCP.

Relatives of the missing persons also alleged violations of safety norms.

“The building was constructed close to the garbage mountain. The PCMC did not follow safety rules to ensure the safety of those working at the depot,” said Santosh Kumbhar, a relative of Mahesh Kumbhar, who remains missing.

However, the PCMC denied allegations of violating safety norms.

Speaking to The Indian Express, PCMC City Engineer Sanjay Kulkarni, who also heads the civic environment department and oversees the Moshi garbage depot, said the three-storey building was constructed at least 30 metres away from the garbage mound.

Story continues below this ad

“The building was constructed following all prescribed norms. It is wrong to say that adequate safety measures were not taken. Besides, the garbage mound has existed there for years. We keep clearing it. Soil is added to the garbage, which hardens it. As a result, even trucks and JCBs can operate on top of it while clearing the waste in phases,” he said.

The PCMC attributed the garbage slide to heavy rainfall, and when asked why no retaining wall had been built to prevent such a slide, Kulkarni said, “Since the building was at what we believed was a safe distance from the garbage heap, we never considered constructing one.”

Of the 18 people trapped under the debris, nine have been rescued and one person has been confirmed dead, while eight remain missing. Rescue teams have located another body but said it would take time to retrieve it. One body was recovered from the debris on Thursday.

The accident occurred on July 8 when, amid heavy rain, a portion of the waste mountain at the Moshi garbage depot collapsed onto the administrative building of a waste-to-energy project. Twenty-three people were inside the building at the time, with five managing to escape.

Story continues below this ad

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officials said one portion of the building had collapsed while another had been lifted off the ground, creating a highly unstable structure. Rescue teams have created an access duct through the lifted section to reach the area where the eight missing persons are believed to be trapped.

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis.

Professional Legacy

Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles.

Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change.

Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities.

Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees.

Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment.

Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)

Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area:

1. Political Shifts & Alliances

"Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala.

"BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls.

"Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections.

"NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections.

2. Civic & Administrative Accountability

"PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions.

"93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads.

3. Social & Labor Issues

"As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra.

"Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse.

Signature Beat

Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport.

X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories