Nine killed in Moshi mishap: Garbage depot head among 2 held of negligence by PCMC

Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Vijay Suryavanshi on Monday issued show cause notices to Sanjay Kulkarni, Chief Engineer who also heads the civic environment and engineering department and executive engineer Yogesh Alhat in connection with the collapse of the waste-to-energy plant at Moshi garbage depot on July 8 leading to death of nine contractual employees.

The civic chief said the show-cause notice is being issued regarding ‘serious negligence’ in safety measures at the Moshi Garbage Depot, dereliction of duty, and the fatal accident that resulted in the death of nine contract workers.

Alleging his ‘inadequate monitoring’, notice to Kulkarni said, “As head of the civic environment and engineering department, you were expected to discharge all duties assigned to you diligently and to take immediate action on complaints received by the department. As the departmental head, your responsibilities included supervising the day-to-day functioning of the Moshi Garbage Depot, monitoring the condition of garbage mounds, ensuring strict implementation of safety measures, exercising direct field supervision over safety-related matters. It was also your duty to supervise the entire operation and maintenance of the garbage depot and ensure that the contractor implemented all required safety precautions. However, because of inadequate monitoring and implementation of safety measures, on 8 July 2026, a large portion of the garbage mound collapsed onto the nearby RCC building, resulting in a tragic accident causing serious loss of life.”

Personnel from multiple rescue agencies carry out search and rescue operations at the Waste-to-Energy plant in Moshi (Express Photo by Arul Horizon)

The notice said an inquiry has revealed that the RCC building was constructed much closer to the Sanitary Landfill (SLF) than permitted.

“’The original approved proposal required the building to be 30 metres away from the landfill. Later approvals only permitted an increase in the building area, not a reduction in the required safety distance. Despite this, the building was constructed only 12 metres away from the landfill site. Additional first and second floors also appear to have been built without proper approval. As Head of the Department, it was your responsibility to verify whether the construction complied with the approved plans. Allowing such unauthorized construction in a sensitive area amounts to serious administrative negligence and suggests protection being extended to the contractor,” the notice said.

The notice said, “After the accident, incorrect information regarding the unauthorised construction, the distance between the landfill and the building, was allegedly provided to senior authorities, leading to misleading information being conveyed to the Government and the media.

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When contacted, Kulkarni said, “I will examine all the official documents regarding the construction of the building and then provide my explanation.”

The notice said, “The preliminary investigation indicates failure to comply with:

Safety protocols, Environmental conditions, Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, CPHEEO Guidelines, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines, and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) guidelines.”

The notice said there also appears to have been negligence in safe management of the landfill, stability assessment of garbage mounds, rainwater management, risk assessment, regular inspections, hazard evaluation and implementation of preventive safety measures.

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“Despite receiving warnings, complaints and indications of danger, timely preventive action was not taken. Failure to effectively supervise the operations under your control amounts to serious misconduct. As a result of this extremely tragic accident nine contract workers lost their lives. Expected sensitivity and prompt action regarding public safety were not displayed. senior officers were not immediately informed with accurate facts, risks were not properly identified and no effective preventive action was taken. As Department Head, you failed to ensure compliance with safety regulations and neglected your official responsibilities,” the notice said.

Because of these failures, the notice said the reputation of the Municipal Corporation has been seriously damaged. “Your conduct appears to violate Rule 3(1)(a), (b), and (c) of the Maharashtra Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1979,” the notice said.

An almost similar notice has been issued to Alhat as well.

“If your explanation is found unsatisfactory, disciplinary proceedings under the relevant provisions of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act and Maharashtra Civil Services Rules may be initiated. You may also be placed under suspension pending departmental inquiry,” the notice told both the officers.