{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Old building collapses in Meerut amid heavy rain, crushes businessman's parked car",
  "summary": "An old house on Meerut's Sharda Road collapsed during heavy rain on September 6, with the debris crushing a car belonging to Delhi businessman Nimesh Gupta. The owner alleges a municipal drain excavation weakened the foundation, and says he had already warned officials in writing before the collapse.",
  "content": "A spell of heavy rain triggered a dangerous accident in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, on September 6, when a decades-old, crumbling house on the busy Sharda Road suddenly gave way and came crashing down within moments. The sound of the falling structure was loud enough to send a wave of panic through nearby shopkeepers and passers-by, many of whom rushed out of their shops to see what had happened. Tonnes of debris from the building came crashing down directly onto a car parked at the roadside, crushing it badly under the weight of bricks and concrete.\n\nNo one was inside the car, averting a bigger tragedy\nThe damaged vehicle reportedly belongs to Nimesh Gupta, a businessman from Delhi. It was only because nobody happened to be sitting inside the car at that exact moment that a fatal tragedy was averted. A few pedestrians who were walking along the same stretch of road also managed to move away in time and escaped being caught under the falling rubble. Word of the collapse spread quickly, and local residents alerted the police within minutes. A police team reached the spot soon after, called in a JCB machine to clear the mountain of debris blocking the road, and worked to restore traffic movement in the busy market area.\n\nDrain excavation blamed for weakening the foundation\nThe house that collapsed belonged to Sohan Lal Goyal, a resident of the Delhi Chungi locality in Meerut. Given how badly the structure had deteriorated over time, it had already been vacated well before the collapse. According to the owner, the municipal corporation had been digging a drain along the roadside under the 'CM Grid Yojna' scheme, and the excavation work came dangerously close to the foundation of his house. He alleged that this digging caused the building's walls to tilt out of alignment and develop large, visible cracks. Days of continuous rain that followed only made matters worse, as water seeped further into the already weakened walls, and the combined effect of the shaky foundation and the soaked structure ultimately caused the entire building to cave in.\n\nOwner says he had already warned officials in writing\nSohan Lal Goyal says he had sensed that an accident like this was only a matter of time, which is why he had submitted a written complaint to the District Magistrate, the Senior Superintendent of Police and the municipal corporation well in advance. In that complaint, he had asked for compensation and urged the authorities to take timely preventive measures before the building collapsed on its own, but none of the officials acted on his warning. He also revealed that a shop on the ground floor of the building has been occupied by a tenant for years, and because the shop could not be vacated, he was unable to get the dangerous structure demolished despite knowing the risk it posed. Caught between administrative inaction and the tenant's refusal to vacate, the very disaster he had warned officials about eventually came true.\n\nWhat this means for you\nThis accident shows that dilapidated houses can turn deadly during the monsoon, especially when excavation work is going on nearby.\n\n• Across India: People living in old or crumbling houses should get their structure's strength checked before the rains intensify. If cracks appear in the walls, it is safer to vacate the house immediately.\n• In Meerut: Residents near areas where drains are being dug under the 'CM Grid Yojna' should keep a close watch on their building foundations. Nearby excavation can weaken foundations, so a timely inspection request to the municipal corporation is advisable.\n• For vehicle owners: Avoid parking cars along roadsides next to old or weak buildings. Walls weakened by rain can collapse without warning and cause heavy damage, as happened to Nimesh Gupta's car.\n• Filing a complaint: If a building looks dangerous, owners or neighbours can send a written complaint to the DM, SSP and the municipal corporation demanding compensation and urgent action. Keep a copy and receipt of the complaint as proof.\n• Tenant disputes: Owners of unsafe buildings with shops rented out should resolve tenancy disputes through legal channels quickly. Delay in vacating such properties can lead to a disaster like the one in Meerut.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. When and where did this accident happen?\nThe accident happened on September 6 on Sharda Road in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.\n\n2. Whose car was crushed under the debris?\nA parked car belonging to Delhi businessman Nimesh Gupta was badly damaged by the falling debris.\n\n3. Was anyone injured in the collapse?\nNo, nobody was inside the car when it happened, and nearby pedestrians also escaped unharmed.\n\n4. Who owned the house that collapsed?\nThe house belonged to Sohan Lal Goyal, a resident of the Delhi Chungi locality in Meerut.\n\n5. What caused the house to collapse?\nThe owner alleges that drain excavation under the 'CM Grid Yojna' near the foundation weakened the walls, and continuous rain afterward worsened the damage until the structure caved in.\n\n6. Had the owner complained about the building earlier?\nYes, he had sent a written complaint to the District Magistrate, the Senior Superintendent of Police and the municipal corporation seeking compensation and timely action.\n\n7. Why wasn't the dangerous building demolished sooner?\nA tenant occupying the ground-floor shop meant the owner could not get the structure demolished despite knowing the risk.\n\n8. What did authorities do after the collapse?\nPolice reached the spot, brought in a JCB machine to clear the debris, and reopened the road for traffic.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/uttar-pradesh/bhari-barisha-ke-bicha-meerut-men-gira-jarjara-bhavana-saraka-kinare-khari-kara-buri-taraha-kshatigrasta-28657",
  "category": "Uttar Pradesh",
  "publishedAt": "2026-09-06",
  "tags": [
    "Meerut",
    "House Collapse",
    "Rain",
    "CM Grid Yojna",
    "Nagar Nigam",
    "Uttar Pradesh",
    "Nimesh Gupta"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}