The Hindu Editorial • August 03, 2026 • Read Original

Falling walls: On building collapses

India’s buildings need widespread rehabilitation work

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The Hindu Read Original

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Analysis of editorial from The Hindu newspaper on August 03, 2026

Falling walls: On building collapses

India’s buildings need widespread rehabilitation work

Infrastructure and Energy Building CollapsesUrban RenewalMunicipal EnforcementBhiwandi Building CollapseInfrastructure MaintenanceUrban Governance

Sentences

Sentence 1 of 18

English Original

In September 2020, the Bhiwandi Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra placed the Kohinoor building on its ‘danger’ list around the same time the Jilani building collapsed a few kilometres away, killing 41.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

In September 2020, the Bhiwandi Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra

In September 2020, the local city administration of Bhiwandi in the state of Maharashtra

Part 2

placed the Kohinoor building on its ‘danger’ list

officially declared the Kohinoor building unsafe for people to live in

Part 3

around the same time the Jilani building collapsed a few kilometres away,

near the same period when another building named Jilani fell down nearby,

Part 4

killing 41.

which caused the deaths of 41 people.

Context and Background

Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation and the 2020 Jilani Collapse

Bhiwandi-Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) is the local governing body for the powerloom city of Bhiwandi in Thane district, Maharashtra. In September 2020, the collapse of the three-storey Jilani building killed 41 residents, highlighting the extreme risk of dilapidated housing. The corporation maintains a list of ‘danger’ or unsafe buildings every year before the monsoon to mandate evacuations, but execution is often stalled by a lack of alternative accommodation.

Sentence 2 of 18

English Original

Six years on, and hours after officials declared the Kohinoor to be unsafe again and evacuated around 40 residents, it collapsed, killing 10.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Six years on,

Six years later (six years after September 2020),

Part 2

and hours after officials declared the Kohinoor to be unsafe again

and just a few hours after government officers announced once more that the Kohinoor building was not safe to live in

Part 3

and around 40 residents,

and moved about 40 people living there to safety,

Part 4

it collapsed,

the building fell down,

Part 5

killing 10.

resulting in the deaths of 10 people.

Sentence 3 of 18

English Original

In the half decade in between, the owners had refused to vacate or redevelop the property and instead undertook unauthorised repairs.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

In the half decade in between,

During the five years between 2020 and 2026,

Part 2

the owners had refused to or redevelop the property

the landlords had said no to leaving the building or rebuilding it

Part 3

and instead unauthorised repairs.

and instead did construction repair work without official permission.

Sentence 4 of 18

English Original

While the fall of the Jilani building, which was old but not on a ‘dangerous’ list, was a failure of anticipation, that of the Kohinoor building, on such a list and which fell mid-repairs, implies a failure of enforcement.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

While the fall of the Jilani building, which was old but not on a ‘dangerous’ list,

Although the collapse of the Jilani building, which was old but had not been declared unsafe by the city,

Part 2

was a failure of ,

happened because authorities failed to predict or expect it,

Part 3

that of the Kohinoor building, on such a list and which fell mid-repairs,

the collapse of the Kohinoor building, which was officially declared unsafe and collapsed in the middle of repairs,

Part 4

implies a failure of .

shows that authorities failed to make sure safety laws and evacuation orders were followed.

Sentence 5 of 18

English Original

Yet, the State responded similarly in both instances, by suspending officials in 2020 and filing a criminal case against the contractor now.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Yet, responded similarly in both instances,

However, the government reacted in the same way in both cases,

Part 2

by suspending officials in 2020

by temporarily removing government officers from their jobs in 2020 (after the Jilani building collapsed)

Part 3

and filing a criminal case against the contractor now.

and registering a police case against the builder/contractor this time (after the Kohinoor building collapsed).

Context and Background

State Accountability and Punitive Action in Building Collapses

Following the September 2020 Jilani building collapse, the Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation suspended two senior civic officials for negligence. Similarly, after the July 2026 Kohinoor building collapse, Thane police registered a criminal case under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 110 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the building owner and the contractor overseeing the unauthorized repairs.

Sentence 6 of 18

English Original

Bhiwandi, one of India’s largest powerloom hubs, has a large low-income migrant population living in small houses in densely packed neighbourhoods.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Bhiwandi, one of India’s largest hubs,

Bhiwandi, which is one of the biggest centers for electric textile weaving in India,

Part 2

has a large low-income population

has many poor workers who have moved there from other states for jobs,

Part 3

living in small houses in packed neighbourhoods.

who live in small rooms in very crowded and close-together residential areas.

Context and Background

Bhiwandi

Bhiwandi, located near Mumbai, is known as the “Manchester of India” due to its massive concentration of powerloom units, which weave over one-third of the country’s textile requirements. The industry relies heavily on millions of low-income migrant laborers from states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. Because of the rapid, unplanned growth of industrial units and worker housing, the city has many congested, poorly constructed, and poorly maintained residential buildings that are highly vulnerable to structural damage.

Sentence 7 of 18

English Original

With hundreds of buildings on the ‘danger’ list and no transit camps or temporary housing, residents often choose unsafe homes over homelessness, while owners continue collecting rent.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

With hundreds of buildings on the ‘danger’ list

Because there are hundreds of buildings officially declared unsafe to live in

Part 2

and no or temporary housing,

and there are no temporary shelter facilities provided by the city government,

Part 3

residents often choose unsafe homes over homelessness,

people living there frequently decide to stay in dangerous buildings instead of having no place to live at all,

Part 4

while owners continue collecting rent.

while the landlords keep taking rent money from them.

Context and Background

Transit Camps and Rehabilitation Challenges in Indian Cities

In Maharashtra, urban local bodies are mandated to provide temporary housing or transit camps for residents evacuated from dilapidated structures. However, due to land scarcity, administrative delays, and corruption, transit camps are highly insufficient. As a result, low-income tenants, who cannot afford private rentals in safer areas, are forced to continue living in life-threatening structures while landlords keep profit-making without spending on maintenance.

Sentence 8 of 18

English Original

Evacuation orders are also hard to enforce without police support, while allowing the corporation to claim that legal liability has been discharged on paper; demolitions are politically fraught.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Evacuation orders are also hard to enforce without police support,

Official notices to leave unsafe buildings are difficult to carry out if the police do not help,

Part 2

while allowing the corporation to claim

but issuing these notices lets the municipal corporation say

Part 3

that has been on paper;

that their legal responsibility has been fulfilled in their official records;

Part 4

are politically .

and knocking down buildings causes a lot of political trouble and opposition.

Sentence 9 of 18

English Original

That both buildings collapsed during the monsoons is also not coincidental.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

That both buildings collapsed during the monsoons

The fact that both of these buildings fell down during the heavy rainy season

Part 2

is also not .

is not a random accident or a matter of pure chance (it happened because rain weakens weak buildings).

Sentence 10 of 18

English Original

India treats infrastructure as an asset with a one-time investment.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

India treats infrastructure

India looks at and handles public systems (like buildings and roads)

Part 2

as an with a one-time investment.

as a valuable property that only needs money spent on it once (when it is built), rather than needing continuous care.

Sentence 11 of 18

English Original

The post-2000s construction boom only outpaced maintenance work and administrative oversight, with the latter having fragmented further since.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The post-2000s construction boom

The rapid increase in building and construction that started in India after the year 2000

Part 2

only maintenance work and administrative ,

grew much faster than repair work and government supervision could keep up with,

Part 3

with having further since.

and this government supervision has broken down into even smaller, less coordinated parts since then.

Sentence 12 of 18

English Original

In mid-2024, roofs/canopies collapsed at airports in Delhi, Jabalpur, and Rajkot, while Bihar had a spate of collapsing bridges in 2024-26.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

In mid-2024,

In the middle of the year 2024,

Part 2

roofs/ collapsed at airports in Delhi, Jabalpur, and Rajkot,

the roof coverings fell down at the airports in Delhi, Jabalpur, and Rajkot,

Part 3

while Bihar had a of collapsing bridges in 2024-26.

during the same period when the state of Bihar saw a large number of bridges falling down between 2024 and 2026.

Context and Background

Infrastructure Collapses in 2024-2026

In late June 2024, heavy monsoon rains led to canopy collapses at Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport (killing one person), the Jabalpur airport terminal, and the Rajkot airport passenger pickup zone. Meanwhile, Bihar witnessed a series of over a dozen bridge collapses between 2024 and 2026 due to poor engineering, corruption, and a lack of proper maintenance, leading to public interest litigation in the Supreme Court regarding construction quality.

Sentence 13 of 18

English Original

Roads have frequently caved in and basements have flooded in tier-I cities, including in the Rajinder Nagar tragedy.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Roads have frequently

Road surfaces have often collapsed or sunk down to make big holes,

Part 2

and basements have flooded in cities,

and underground rooms have filled with water in India’s major metropolitan cities,

Part 3

including in the Rajinder Nagar tragedy.

such as the tragic incident in Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar area.

Context and Background

The Rajinder Nagar Coaching Centre Tragedy

On July 27, 2024, three civil services (UPSC) aspirants drowned when the basement library of Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi, flooded within minutes. The disaster occurred because of heavy rain, poor drainage maintenance, and illegal commercial usage of the basement, which violated municipal building bylaws. This incident sparked massive student protests and a subsequent crackdown on illegal basements across Delhi.

Sentence 14 of 18

English Original

This year, similar collapses have also been reported in Kolkata and Pune.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

This year, similar collapses

In the current year (2026), similar incidents of buildings falling down

Part 2

have also been reported in Kolkata and Pune.

have also been officially recorded in cities like Kolkata and Pune.

Context and Background

2026 Structural Collapses in Kolkata and Pune

In June 2026, the collapse of an under-construction warehouse in Taratala, Kolkata, killed 14 laborers, prompting a government audit of high-rise structures. In July 2026, an under-construction section of a waste-to-energy plant in Moshi, Pune, collapsed and trapped 16 workers, highlighting nationwide safety issues in private and public construction sites during the monsoon season.

Sentence 15 of 18

English Original

Despite the availability of technologies to continuously monitor structures and issue early warnings, urbanisation has outrun municipal capacity, with most of the resulting failures involving a known hazard.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Despite the availability of technologies to continuously monitor structures and issue early warnings,

Even though we have tech tools to constantly check building safety and give alerts before a collapse,

Part 2

urbanisation has outrun capacity,

the rapid growth of cities has gone faster than the ability of city governments to manage it,

Part 3

with most of the resulting failures involving a known .

meaning most of these building collapses happen even when the danger was already known beforehand.

Context and Background

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) and Municipal Capacity

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) involves using sensors, IoT devices, and data analytics to continuously track a building’s load, stress, and concrete health. Although these early-warning technologies are commercially available in India, local municipal bodies lack the budget, skilled personnel, and administrative willpower to install them on old private buildings or enforce timely evacuations even after identifying structures as high-risk hazards.

Sentence 16 of 18

English Original

The apparent rise in the frequency of these incidents indicates a lack of attention to construction quality as much as greater media coverage and there being more infrastructure to fail.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The rise in the frequency of these incidents

The seeming increase in how often these structural collapses happen

Part 2

indicates a lack of attention to construction quality

shows that builders are not focusing enough on making buildings strong,

Part 3

as much as greater media coverage and there being more infrastructure to fail.

just as much as it shows that news channels are reporting more on them and that there are simply more buildings and bridges that can collapse.

Sentence 17 of 18

English Original

But in place of the state’s almost instinctive responses in the form of legal and disciplinary action, inquiries and promises of audits, and victim compensation, India’s buildings need widespread rehabilitation work.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

But in place of the state’s almost responses

But instead of the government’s automatic, unthinking reactions

Part 2

in the form of legal and disciplinary action,

which usually involve registering police cases and punishing officers,

Part 3

inquiries and promises of , and victim compensation,

setting up investigation committees, promising safety inspections, and giving money to the victims,

Part 4

India’s buildings need widespread work.

buildings across India actually require large-scale repair and strengthening to make them safe.

Sentence 18 of 18

English Original

Nothing short of an urban renewal would do.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Nothing short of an urban renewal

Only a complete rebuilding and redesigning of our cities

Part 2

would do.

will be sufficient or acceptable to solve the problem.

Context and Background

Urban Renewal and Development Initiatives in India

Urban renewal in India is driven by central schemes like the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), launched in 2015, and the Smart Cities Mission. These programs focus on upgrading sewerage networks, water supply, and public transport. However, critics argue that these initiatives do not sufficiently address building safety codes, structural audits of old private housing, or the rehabilitation of residents living in unsafe tenements.

Sentence 1 of 18

Sentences Breakdown

Editorial Summary

5-Point Summary

1 A recent fatal building collapse in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, highlights a severe failure of municipal enforcement six years after a similar nearby tragedy.
2 Residents in low-income hubs often choose to stay in unsafe buildings due to poverty, a lack of temporary shelter, and landlord negligence.
3 Instead of proactive maintenance, the state typically responds to such disasters reactively by suspending staff and filing criminal cases.
4 Building collapses, airport canopy failures, and caving roads across India show that rapid urbanization has completely outrun municipal capacity.
5 India needs to shift its focus from temporary legal actions and victim compensation to systematic building rehabilitation and urban renewal.

Tone of the Editorial

Critical

Why this tone?

The editorial is highly critical of the state’s reactive and administrative failures regarding urban infrastructure. It disapproves of the government’s tendency to rely on superficial measures, like suspending low-level officials or filing cases after a disaster, instead of enforcing safety codes. The author uses terms like “failure of enforcement,” “instinctive responses,” and “outpaced maintenance” to emphasize this dissatisfaction.

Sentence 1 of 18

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

In September 2020, the Bhiwandi Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra

In September 2020, the local city administration of Bhiwandi in the state of Maharashtra

Part 2

placed the Kohinoor building on its ‘danger’ list

officially declared the Kohinoor building unsafe for people to live in

Part 3

around the same time the Jilani building collapsed a few kilometres away,

near the same period when another building named Jilani fell down nearby,

Part 4

killing 41.

which caused the deaths of 41 people.

Sentence 2 of 18

Six years on, and hours after officials declared the Kohinoor to be unsafe again and evacuated around 40 residents, it collapsed, killing 10.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Six years on,

Six years later (six years after September 2020),

Part 2

and hours after officials declared the Kohinoor to be unsafe again

and just a few hours after government officers announced once more that the Kohinoor building was not safe to live in

Part 3

and evacuated around 40 residents,

and moved about 40 people living there to safety,

Part 4

it collapsed,

the building fell down,

Part 5

killing 10.

resulting in the deaths of 10 people.

Sentence 3 of 18

In the half decade in between, the owners had refused to vacate or redevelop the property and instead undertook unauthorised repairs.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

In the half decade in between,

During the five years between 2020 and 2026,

Part 2

the owners had refused to vacate or redevelop the property

the landlords had said no to leaving the building or rebuilding it

Part 3

and instead undertook unauthorised repairs.

and instead did construction repair work without official permission.

Sentence 4 of 18

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

While the fall of the Jilani building, which was old but not on a ‘dangerous’ list,

Although the collapse of the Jilani building, which was old but had not been declared unsafe by the city,

Part 2

was a failure of anticipation,

happened because authorities failed to predict or expect it,

Part 3

that of the Kohinoor building, on such a list and which fell mid-repairs,

the collapse of the Kohinoor building, which was officially declared unsafe and collapsed in the middle of repairs,

Part 4

implies a failure of enforcement.

shows that authorities failed to make sure safety laws and evacuation orders were followed.

Sentence 5 of 18

Yet, the State responded similarly in both instances, by suspending officials in 2020 and filing a criminal case against the contractor now.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Yet, the State responded similarly in both instances,

However, the government reacted in the same way in both cases,

Part 2

by suspending officials in 2020

by temporarily removing government officers from their jobs in 2020 (after the Jilani building collapsed)

Part 3

and filing a criminal case against the contractor now.

and registering a police case against the builder/contractor this time (after the Kohinoor building collapsed).

Sentence 6 of 18

Bhiwandi, one of India’s largest powerloom hubs, has a large low-income migrant population living in small houses in densely packed neighbourhoods.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Bhiwandi, one of India’s largest powerloom hubs,

Bhiwandi, which is one of the biggest centers for electric textile weaving in India,

Part 2

has a large low-income migrant population

has many poor workers who have moved there from other states for jobs,

Part 3

living in small houses in densely packed neighbourhoods.

who live in small rooms in very crowded and close-together residential areas.

Sentence 7 of 18

With hundreds of buildings on the ‘danger’ list and no transit camps or temporary housing, residents often choose unsafe homes over homelessness, while owners continue collecting rent.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

With hundreds of buildings on the ‘danger’ list

Because there are hundreds of buildings officially declared unsafe to live in

Part 2

and no transit camps or temporary housing,

and there are no temporary shelter facilities provided by the city government,

Part 3

residents often choose unsafe homes over homelessness,

people living there frequently decide to stay in dangerous buildings instead of having no place to live at all,

Part 4

while owners continue collecting rent.

while the landlords keep taking rent money from them.

Sentence 8 of 18

Evacuation orders are also hard to enforce without police support, while allowing the corporation to claim that legal liability has been discharged on paper; demolitions are politically fraught.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Evacuation orders are also hard to enforce without police support,

Official notices to leave unsafe buildings are difficult to carry out if the police do not help,

Part 2

while allowing the corporation to claim

but issuing these notices lets the municipal corporation say

Part 3

that legal liability has been discharged on paper;

that their legal responsibility has been fulfilled in their official records;

Part 4

demolitions are politically fraught.

and knocking down buildings causes a lot of political trouble and opposition.

Sentence 9 of 18

That both buildings collapsed during the monsoons is also not coincidental.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

That both buildings collapsed during the monsoons

The fact that both of these buildings fell down during the heavy rainy season

Part 2

is also not coincidental.

is not a random accident or a matter of pure chance (it happened because rain weakens weak buildings).

Sentence 10 of 18

India treats infrastructure as an asset with a one-time investment.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

India treats infrastructure

India looks at and handles public systems (like buildings and roads)

Part 2

as an asset with a one-time investment.

as a valuable property that only needs money spent on it once (when it is built), rather than needing continuous care.

Sentence 11 of 18

The post-2000s construction boom only outpaced maintenance work and administrative oversight, with the latter having fragmented further since.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The post-2000s construction boom

The rapid increase in building and construction that started in India after the year 2000

Part 2

only outpaced maintenance work and administrative oversight,

grew much faster than repair work and government supervision could keep up with,

Part 3

with the latter having fragmented further since.

and this government supervision has broken down into even smaller, less coordinated parts since then.

Sentence 12 of 18

In mid-2024, roofs/canopies collapsed at airports in Delhi, Jabalpur, and Rajkot, while Bihar had a spate of collapsing bridges in 2024-26.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

In mid-2024,

In the middle of the year 2024,

Part 2

roofs/canopies collapsed at airports in Delhi, Jabalpur, and Rajkot,

the roof coverings fell down at the airports in Delhi, Jabalpur, and Rajkot,

Part 3

while Bihar had a spate of collapsing bridges in 2024-26.

during the same period when the state of Bihar saw a large number of bridges falling down between 2024 and 2026.

Sentence 13 of 18

Roads have frequently caved in and basements have flooded in tier-I cities, including in the Rajinder Nagar tragedy.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Roads have frequently caved in

Road surfaces have often collapsed or sunk down to make big holes,

Part 2

and basements have flooded in tier-I cities,

and underground rooms have filled with water in India’s major metropolitan cities,

Part 3

including in the Rajinder Nagar tragedy.

such as the tragic incident in Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar area.

Sentence 14 of 18

This year, similar collapses have also been reported in Kolkata and Pune.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

This year, similar collapses

In the current year (2026), similar incidents of buildings falling down

Part 2

have also been reported in Kolkata and Pune.

have also been officially recorded in cities like Kolkata and Pune.

Sentence 15 of 18

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Despite the availability of technologies to continuously monitor structures and issue early warnings,

Even though we have tech tools to constantly check building safety and give alerts before a collapse,

Part 2

urbanisation has outrun municipal capacity,

the rapid growth of cities has gone faster than the ability of city governments to manage it,

Part 3

with most of the resulting failures involving a known hazard.

meaning most of these building collapses happen even when the danger was already known beforehand.

Sentence 16 of 18

The apparent rise in the frequency of these incidents indicates a lack of attention to construction quality as much as greater media coverage and there being more infrastructure to fail.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The apparent rise in the frequency of these incidents

The seeming increase in how often these structural collapses happen

Part 2

indicates a lack of attention to construction quality

shows that builders are not focusing enough on making buildings strong,

Part 3

as much as greater media coverage and there being more infrastructure to fail.

just as much as it shows that news channels are reporting more on them and that there are simply more buildings and bridges that can collapse.

Sentence 17 of 18

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

But in place of the state’s almost instinctive responses

But instead of the government’s automatic, unthinking reactions

Part 2

in the form of legal and disciplinary action,

which usually involve registering police cases and punishing officers,

Part 3

inquiries and promises of audits, and victim compensation,

setting up investigation committees, promising safety inspections, and giving money to the victims,

Part 4

India’s buildings need widespread rehabilitation work.

buildings across India actually require large-scale repair and strengthening to make them safe.

Sentence 18 of 18

Nothing short of an urban renewal would do.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Nothing short of an urban renewal

Only a complete rebuilding and redesigning of our cities

Part 2

would do.

will be sufficient or acceptable to solve the problem.

Reading Comprehension

Practice questions based on this editorial

Reading Comprehension - Building Collapses in India

Practice reading comprehension questions based on the editorial about building collapses, municipal enforcement, and urban renewal in India.

7 Questions Passing: 70%

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