Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
Due to the collapse of cement blocks installed in the dome over Siddharth Garden’s entrance gate, two women lost their lives on Wednesday evening. Experts in architecture from the city have stated that the incident may have been the result of a major flaw in the structural design.
Heavy footfall, no safety consideration
Siddharth Garden sees more than 20,000 visitors every day. Despite being such a busy public space, no safety measures were considered during the dome’s construction. Traditionally, domes are not built using cement blocks. Instead, brick or stone masonry is employed, with added plaster to ensure the structure lasts for years.
The dome at the entrance was constructed in 2022, designed by the BOT contractor’s own architect. The motive was to give the adjacent commercial complex an attractive appearance. Earlier, the garden had a simple and safe entrance gate with no structural risk.
Lack of iron support may be the cause
The senior architect Sunil Bhale said, “Cement blocks are typically not used in dome construction. If an architect or contractor chooses to use them, it is crucial to provide support with iron bars. In the Siddharth Garden incident, the absence of such iron reinforcement may have led to the tragedy within just three years of the dome being built.”
Safety Is Critical
The senior architect Mohammed Yunus said, "It is unclear how exactly the dome at Siddharth Garden was constructed or where cement blocks were used. But when building domes in public areas, utmost attention must be paid to safety. This incident clearly reflects negligence. For example, in Ellora, a stone-structured dome has been standing strong, and in Bijapur, a 400-year-old dome in a public place remains intact to this day."