Govt seeks report on wall collapse

SHILLONG, June 2: The state government has sought a detailed report from the Hindustan Steelworks Construction Ltd (HSCL) after the retaining wall of the PA Sangma stadium collapsed for the second time on Sunday.
The company was responsible for the construction of the sports complex.
The retaining wall had first collapsed in June 2023. It was inaugurated in December 2022 in a hurried manner ahead of the Assembly elections held in February 2023.
In a written clarification, Director of Sports and Youth Affairs, Isawanda Laloo said the portion of the PA Sangma Sports Complex outer boundary wall near the Sewage Treatment Plant and Indoor Hall-2, which is under construction, collapsed in the early morning of Sunday.
“The collapse of the wall has not impacted the main structure of the stadium at all,” Laloo said.
Stating that the HSCL has been directed to submit a detailed report on the incident, the Director said, “Heavy rainfall resulted in a water catastrophe that subdued the provisional drainage systems which had been put up.” “The systems had been erected to regulate water collection, sanitation, and discharge from the STP tank, Indoor Hall 1, Indoor Hall 2, and the complex. However, because the construction of these amenities is still ongoing, the permanent drainage solutions are yet to been fitted. It gave an outlet to the water for a short distance, then choked by the rain and after that, the wall fell over,” the statement said.
It was claimed that the collapsed wall was constructed as a temporary measure to demarcate and prevent possible encroachment of the land.
The West Garo Hills district administration has undertaken immediate measures to ensure the safety of residents in the surrounding area. A family affected by the wall’s collapse was relocated and provided with temporary accommodation, supplies and other amenities.
Further, the area has been secured and continuous on-ground monitoring of the situation is in progress. Officials of Public Health Engineering department are at the site to help clear the clogged pipes. The removal of mud/debris is also under way, the statement added.