Residents of Shiv Residency in Bhimrad, Surat, have largely moved back into their apartments. This follows extensive repair work and safety assurances provided by civic authorities after a major structural incident.
December Collapse and Evacuation
The crisis began on the night of December 16. A significant portion of the retention wall surrounding a foundation pit at the adjacent Raj Laxmi Vivaan construction site gave way. This failure caused soil, a boundary wall, and a parking shed belonging to Shiv Residency to collapse into the excavated pit.
The immediate response involved a large-scale stabilisation effort. To secure the site, authorities filled the pit with approximately 1,500 truckloads of soil, which was then capped with a layer of cement. During this period, the developer, Raj Laxmi Vivaan, provided alternative hotel accommodation for the evacuated residents.
Safety Verification and Resident Assurance
The turning point came when experts from the Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT) conducted a thorough assessment. The SVNIT committee examined the damage to both the buildings and the land within the residential complex. Following the soil filling restoration work, the institute officially declared the Shiv Residency towers safe for occupancy.
The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) took further steps to address resident concerns. After the SVNIT report, civic officials held multiple meetings with the residents. In a significant confidence-building measure, the SMC offered to bear the full cost if residents wanted to conduct independent structural and geotechnical tests through experts of their own choosing.
Return to Normalcy
After discussions and reviewing the explanations from SMC officials, the residents expressed satisfaction. "SMC officials visited the site after the report and addressed residents' concerns. Their explanations were satisfactory," stated one resident. This led to the collective decision for families to return to their flats.
Consequently, most of the temporary hotel rooms arranged by the developer have now been vacated. The series of meetings between the residents and the SMC, coupled with the technical safety clearance, have resolved the situation, allowing life at Shiv Residency to gradually return to normal.
