Hyderabad: Report cements builder's negligence in Kondapur site tragedy

Hyderabad: The final report of the external committee appointed to assess the causes of the collapse of the deep excavation pit at Kondapur on Monday, which claimed two lives, has put the blame squarely on the builder, Vamshiram, for having excavated close to the road, almost abutting it, with no or little setback.

Moreover, no arrangements were made at the site to shore up the deep excavation. The digging was entirely vertical, which means there was no lateral support and that caused the soil mass to move easily and cave in.

Also, because of heavy surcharge load compounded by the impact of placing reinforcement on the road led to the collapse of huge lumps of soil.

Movement of heavy vehicles very close to the excavated portion also aggravated the situation, the report said. Dr N V Ramana Rao, Professor of Civil Engineering, JNT University, said in the final report: “A cellar floor has been dug to a depth of nearly 10.5 m for the proposed multi-storeyed building. Excavation has been carried out very close to the road almost abutting it, with no or little setback. Soil condition indicates loose and disintegrated murrum, especially in the top five metres.”