“In 2006 we received 51 calls about such collapses and in 2007 the number had swelled to 55. Almost 50 per cent of these cases involved injuries and rescue machinery had to be used to rescue the victims trapped beneath the debris. But casualties in such cases are rare,” said Chief Fire Officer Devendra Potphode.

“The old wadas comprise walls made of wood, bricks and mud which are prone to water seepage. Even a slight drizzle during monsoon causes water to penetrate the walls and weaken the structure, which causes them to collapse. No permanent repair or maintenance is undertaken by the tenants of the wadas which increases the chances of disasters,” said assistant divisional fire officer P Ranpise.

But for the Jhodge family all these details no longer make any difference as the deaths of Bhaurao Sakharam Jhodge (54) and Prasad Bhaurao Jhodge (22) has rendered the two female members, Ashabai who is physically handicapped and her 24-year-old daughter Poonam, minus major means of livelihood.

Bhaurao was an autorickshaw driver, while Prasad who was a final year civil engineering student at Wadia College was also working in Magarpatta. Poonam is employed in the IT industry, said the residents.

“The Pune Municipal Corporation officials have occasionally visited the wada for reviewing the state of the structure and suggested repairs. But, most of the people here live hand-to-mouth and repair and maintenance of the wada get the least priority,” said Gujar Bandu, a resident of Joshi wada.

Meanwhile, many other wada residents are only too conscious about the lack of safety of their residences. Satyasheel Naik, who has opted to stay on in his ancestral wada in Shukrawar Peth, stressed regular maintenance was the only answer. “Termite-infested wood and water seepage are the two serious problems. Usually corporation personnel visit the wada only when such an incident occurs,” he said.

The wadas that have been let out are more prone to disasters, according to Naik. “While the original wada has a particular structure with each of its storeys serving a separate purpose, drastic modifications are introduced when it is let out to a tenant,” he said.

“While according to the original structure of a wada, bathrooms were located in a separate part of the house, once its rented out to numerous tenants, improvised plumbing arrangements to supply water to every rented room is put in place. The same goes for electrical connections,” he said.

Precautions like reducing the weight of the roof and replacing weak wooden beams with metal gilders can help reduce wall or roof collapses to a great extent, he said. “Old wadas have five-six layers of the antique circular tiles and are supported by the wooden beams. Over time the wood rots and the beams are unable to support the weight,” said Naik.