Rusted Structure, Faulty Design, Poor Maintenance And...: What Led To Collapse Of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Statue In Maharashtra

The collapse of the 35-foot Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Maharashtra's Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg last month was attributed to a rusted structure, faulty design, poor maintenance, and substandard welding. These findings were detailed in a report submitted by the joint technical committee formed to investigate the incident."The overall structure and frame of the statue was not strong enough to bear its weight.The statue was not designed or constructed appropriately to sustain in the sea conditions with strong winds, rainfall and persistent rusting," the report stated. For the unversed, the 35-foot Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue collapsed on August 26. Unveiled on December 4 of the previous year during the Navy Day celebrations in Sindhudurg, the statue was dedicated to honouring the legacy of the Maratha Navy and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s contributions to maritime defence and security, as well as its historical connection to the modern Indian Navy.The Maharashtra Police arrested sculptor-contractor Jaydeep Apt from Kalyan in Thane district on September 4.

Statue Collapsed Due To Strong Winds: CMEarlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde termed the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot Fort as "unfortunate". Shinde said that the statue fell and was damaged due to strong winds and added that the Maharashtra government will find out the reasons behind this incident and reinstall the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the same place.