On July 13, the temporary steel scaffolding that had been put up during the metro construction fell due to strong winds. The inquiry report states that the civil contractor should have taken necessary precautions.

“Prima-facie it seems that the contractor, Simplex Infrastructure, has not followed the guidelines and is at fault,” a Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd spokesperson told Newsline.

The spokesperson added, “The contractor should have taken measures to strengthen the arrangement for restraining of scaffolding to guard against unexpected strong winds and rains.” When Newsline tried contacting Simplex Infrastructure, they declined to comment on the inquiry report.

Since the accident took place late on July 13, no one was injured though the work was going on at the site. The site is very crowded especially during peak hours.

The committee set up by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, the nodal agency for Mumbai Metro Rail Project, too had similar observations. S R Nandargirkar who is part of the three-member committee set up to investigate the incident said, “There are various reasons for the accident. The length of the bar was around 12 metres which needs to be shorter. The contractor should have restrained the scaffolding and reinforcement.”

Meanwhile, action against the civil contractor is likely to be taken. “Appropriate action will be taken against the contractor under provisions of the contract. They have been strongly directed to augment their safety to prevent such accidents in future,” the spokesperson said.