Surat's 21-Crore Water Tank Was To Serve 33 Villages. It Collapsed On Day 1

In a major crackdown following the catastrophic collapse of a newly built water tank in Surat, the Gujarat Police have registered a criminal case and initiated arrests to address what is being described as a "monumental embarrassment" for the state administration.

It was supposed to be the pride of the Gaipagla Group Water Supply Scheme, a Rs 21-crore lifeline designed to quench the thirst of 33 villages. Instead, it became a towering symbol of administrative shame.

On January 19, as engineers filled the newly constructed 15-metre-high water tank in Tadkeshwar village for a routine capacity test, the structure did not just leak-it disintegrated. Within moments, 9 lakh litres of water acted as a wrecking ball, bringing the entire RCC structure crashing down before it could even be inaugurated.

The incident left the authorities red-faced and three labourers - Anguriben Rajubhai Aad, Anjaliben Rajubhai Aad, and Kalitaben Anilbhai Vachlia - injured. Images from the site show a graveyard of twisted steel and peeling concrete, fueling local outrage over the "substandard" materials used in the project.

Police Crackdown

In a swift response to the public outcry and the sheer scale of the government loss, the Surat Rural District Police have launched a massive crackdown. Under the direct guidance of IGP Prem Vir Singh and SP Rajesh Gadhia, seven separate teams were formed to hunt down those responsible for this engineering disaster.

Police have officially registered a case at Mandvi Police Station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, specifically invoking: Section 316(5): Criminal breach of trust by a public servant or agent. Section 318(4): Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property. Section 125(A): Acts endangering life or personal safety.

The Arrest Roll Call

In a series of coordinated raids across Mehsana, Ahmedabad, and Surat, the police arrested seven high-profile accused involved in the construction and supervision:

Babubhai Ambalal Patel (61): Contractor, Jayanti Super Construction Pvt. Ltd, Jasminbhai Babubhai Patel (32): Partner/Contractor, Dhavalbhai Ratilal Patel (35): Site Engineer, Jayantibhai Ambalal Patel (61): Management/Partner, Babubhai Manilal Patel (63): Project Management Consultant (PMC), Mars Planning & Engineering, Jigarbhai Ravjibhai Prajapati (34): Site Supervisor, PMC and Ankitbhai Parasottambahi Garasia (42): Executive Engineer, Water Supply Department.

The police have also named Jay Somabhai Chaudhary, the Deputy Executive Engineer, as an accused whose arrest is currently pending.

The Road Ahead

The state government has already suspended senior officials, but for the villagers of Mandvi, the collapse is a bitter reminder of "hollow" development. The investigation, now led by DySP BK Vanar, aims to uncover how such a massive structure passed initial inspections before failing its very first real-world test.