Gujarat Police have apprehended five individuals linked to the collapse of a newly built water tank during testing in Tadkeshwar village, Mandvi taluka, Surat district. The incident has raised concerns of corruption, substandard construction, and negligence in a Rs 21 crore public project. Among those arrested are main contractors Jayanti Patel and Ambalal Patel, along with others involved in the project.
The arrested individuals, including relatives, are accused of colluding to carry out irregularities in the construction work. Following the incident, swift arrests were made as the police escalated their actions. The water tank formed part of the Gayapagla Group Water Supply Scheme under the Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board, aimed at providing clean drinking water to over 33 villages.
The tank, standing at 15 meters high with a storage capacity of 11 lakh liters, was constructed by Jayanti Super Construction Private Limited based in Mehsana. During routine testing, approximately nine lakh liters of water were filled when the structure collapsed suddenly, injuring three laborers, including a child, who were promptly taken for medical treatment.
In response to the incident, the state government suspended three GWSSB officials and took immediate administrative actions. The contractor has been blacklisted, pending payments have been stopped, and an FIR has been lodged at the Mandvi police station. Initial investigations suggest the use of substandard materials, construction norm violations, and significant corruption.
Local villagers have expressed anger over the misuse of public funds, which were intended to address their drinking water crisis. This incident has left the community without essential water infrastructure and has eroded trust in governance. The police have indicated that the investigation is ongoing, with the possibility of more arrests as evidence is gathered. The state government has assured that stringent actions will be taken against those accountable, and stricter quality checks will be implemented in future public projects to prevent similar occurrences.
