Stainless Steel could have prevented collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Sindhudurg, says Nitin Gadkari

Union Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday highlighted the need for rust-resistant materials in coastal construction, particularly in light of the recent collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Sindhudurg. Gadkari said that using stainless steel could have averted the statue’s downfall.

At a Ficci event, Gadkari expressed his frustration with past experiences regarding construction materials. He revealed that despite being advised to use stainless steel for coastal construction, some of his earlier projects did not follow this advice. He shared an example where iron rods, which were merely powder-coated to prevent rust, ultimately failed.

“For the past three years, I have been advocating the use of stainless steel in constructing bridges near the sea. During my tenure as a state minister overseeing the construction of 55 flyovers in Mumbai, I encountered a situation where someone misled me. They applied a powder coating to iron rods and claimed they were rust-proof, but rust still appeared. I believe that stainless steel should be mandated for all roads within 30 kilometers of the sea. Had stainless steel been used for the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue, it would not have collapsed,” Gadkari stated.

In related developments, the Sindhudurg police have issued a lookout notice for the sculptor of the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue identified as Jaydeep Apte. As per information, Apte has been missing for over a week since the statue’s collapse at Rajkot Fort in Malvan. An FIR has been lodged against Apte and structural engineer Chetan Patil under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. While Patil is in police custody until September 5, Apte remains at large.