Indore: Days after a tragic accident that took the lives of 36 people, more than five bulldozers rolled into the Shri Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, on Monday to demolish the illegal construction.
A large contingent of municipal and police officials reached the temple to ensure the action was carried out without any disturbance.
Personnel from four police stations have been deployed to prevent any possible resistance. The Deputy Municipal Commissioner, District Magistrate, and other officials are also present at the spot.
#WATCH | #MadhyaPradesh | #Indore municipality deploys bulldozer & demolishes illegal structure at Indore temple where 36 people died after the stepwell collapse there last week. pic.twitter.com/0x00uc1uYd
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) April 3, 2023
The temple area that collapsed was an illegal structure and the Indore Municipal Corporation had marked the cover of the stepwell for demolition last year, but they backed down after the temple trust warned them religious sentiments would be hurt.
The stepwell roof broke due to the weight of the crowds on Ram Navami. A havan was performed when the incident happened, people gathered for havan did not know that the ground beneath their feet hid a deep well amid rusty iron grills.
On Sunday, Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressed District Collectors virtually from his residence office and instructed them to identify traditional ancient wells and stepwells and prepare a list. He told them to stay particularly alert about wells and stepwells which have been covered without filling. If there is such a place, arrangements should be made by opening them so that there is no possibility of an accident. If necessary, boundary walls, fencing, or railing should be made around such places.
(With Agency Inputs)