Rain, rusted nuts & bolts, ignored engineer's warning: How Malvan's Shivaji statue collapsed in just 8 months

The iconic Chhatrapti Shivaji Maharaj statue in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg collapsed on Monday just eight months since its inauguration.

The 35-foot statue located at Rajkot Fort in Malvan, which was inaugurated in December 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Navy Day, is now left in bits and pieces. 

Legal action has been taken against those involved in the project over alleged construction flaws.

The fall of the iconic statue has also led to major backlash at the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government.

Cost of ignored Warnings: How rusty nuts and bolts downed Shivaji’s statue

As per media reports, a local assistant engineer of the state public works department (SPWD) had previously written a letter to naval authorities warning about the precarious condition of the Shivaji statue. The letter addressed to the area Coastal Security Officer pointed out that the statue was in a dilapidated condition because of the rusted nuts and bolts used to assemble it together.

“On the occasion of Navy Day, December 4, 2023, a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was erected at Rajkot Fort in Malvan taluka. In June, the sculptor Jaydeep Apte repaired the statue. However, the statue is currently in a dilapidated state due to rust on the nuts and bolts used to join it. This is caused by rain and the salty winds from the seashore,” states the letter sent on August 20, according to a report by Times of India.

Sindhudurg guardian minister Ravindra Chavan, revealed that the Maharashtra government had paid Rs 2.36 crore to the Indian Navy for the statue's installation. The work on the statue began on September 8, with the Indian Navy, which has no expertise in statue construction, managed the entire process including the selection of the artist, design, and erecting the statue and its pedestal.

Chavan, a BJP minister, further stated that the steel used in the statue's construction had started to rust.

"The steel used in making of the statue had started rusting. The PWD had already written to Navy officials informing them about the statue catching rust and requested them to take appropriate steps," said Sindhudurg guardian minister Ravindra Chavan said. 

Locals and tourists had also previously expressed their concerns about the Shivaji statue's deteriorating condition. Despite these warnings, including an alert from the assistant engineer of the Malvan division of the PWD on August 20, no preventive action was taken. The PWD stated that the rusting nuts and bolts posed a risk to the statue's stability, yet the warnings were ignored.

CM Eknath Shinde reacts

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has acknowledged the incident and attributed the statue collapse to strong winds, claiming they were blowing at a speed of 45 km per hour at the time. The Chief Minister assured assured that restructuring and rebuilding will be finished as soon as possible.
However, the Opposition has criticised the government, accusing it of negligence.

"The incident that happened is unfortunate. This statue was erected by the Navy. They had also designed it. But due to strong winds of around 45 km/h, it fell and got damaged. Tomorrow, officials from PWD and the Navy will visit the site and investigate the cause behind it. I sent Public Works Minister Ravindra Chavan to the site as soon as I heard about the incident. We will find out the reasons behind this incident and reinstall the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the same place," Shinde said.

Legal action

Sindhudurg’s guardian minister, Ravindra Chavan, who also holds the PWD portfolio, announced that a case has been filed against Jaydeep Apte, the proprietor of M/s Artistry, and structural consultant Chetan Patil, both involved in the statue project in Sindhudurg, under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The charges include collusion, fraud, and endangering public safety.

The FIR follows a complaint by the PWD, which claims the statue's construction was of poor quality, and the nuts and bolts used in the structure were found to be rusted.