Portion of dilapidated wada collapses in old Nashik; no casualties or injuries reported

Nashik: A portion of a dilapidated wada in the Dhumal Point area, on Main Road in old Nashik city, collapsed on Wednesday afternoon, sending debris onto the busy commercial stretch and raising fresh concerns over the safety of ageing structures in the city.

No casualties or injuries were reported.The incident occurred around 1pm when a section of the old structure gave way. Although some debris fell onto Main Road, no pedestrians or motorists were hit.Fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and carried out a preliminary inspection. Officials confirmed that no one was trapped beneath the debris.Civic officials said no one was residing in the wada at the time of the incident, though several commercial establishments operate on its ground floor facing Main Road.

Authorities immediately cordoned off the area and took precautionary measures to prevent further danger.Officials from the Nashik Municipal Corporation’s town planning department said a notice had recently been served to the property owner directing him to remove dangerous portions of the structure and shift any occupants or users to safer premises. The wada was among several structurally weak buildings identified by the civic body ahead of the monsoon.

The incident has once again highlighted the risks posed by dilapidated buildings in Nashik’s old city areas, where many ageing wadas continue to remain occupied despite repeated civic warnings.Last year, the NMC identified 1,192 dilapidated wadas across the city during a survey. Of these, 701 are in Nashik West division, 176 in Panchavati and 127 in Nashik East.Before the monsoon, the civic body issued notices to owners of all identified structures, directing them to vacate unsafe buildings and remove hazardous portions with the assistance of structural engineers. However, officials said compliance has remained poor, with only a handful of owners taking corrective measures despite repeated warnings.The latest collapse has renewed concerns over the threat posed by unsafe structures during the monsoon season.