Church Demolished Before Court Hearing and Waste-to-Energy Plant Collapse Rock Pimpri-Chinchwad
Pimpri-Chinchwad faced two significant civic crises: a church in the Kalewadi area was demolished in a late-night operation that church members say contravened a court stay order, and a waste-to-energy plant at Moshi operated by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation partially collapsed, trapping workers inside and triggering a major rescue operation. Both incidents raised questions about the conduct of civic authorities and the safety of public infrastructure in the rapidly growing city. Nine workers were rescued from the WTE plant overnight while search teams continued working to reach an estimated ten to twelve others believed to be trapped.
🗳️ Church Razed in Kalewadi Despite Alleged Court Stay Order
A church in Kalewadi's Tapkir Mala area in Pimpri-Chinchwad was demolished in a late-night civic operation on September 7, 2026, with church members alleging the action was carried out despite an existing court stay and just before a scheduled court hearing. The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) maintained the demolition was part of a drive against unauthorised constructions in Rajwade Nagar, Kalewadi, conducted under the G Ward office. According to the PCMC, the drive resulted in the removal of approximately 7,400 square feet of unauthorised construction. Church members, however, said they were notified in the middle of the night that the structure could be demolished and rushed to the site to find heavy machinery and a large police contingent already deployed. Rose, who has been associated with the church for about ten years, said members had informed civic officials of the stay order and an upcoming court hearing on Monday. 'We had a stay order. The hearing was on Monday. Whatever the court says, we will cooperate,' she said. Rose alleged that officials entered the premises and forced members away, and that members were prevented from photographing or recording the demolition and threatened with seizure of their mobile phones. Another church member, Sam, said about twenty to twenty-five people gathered at the site and began praying together after learning the structure was to come down. [4]
Nine Rescued from Collapsed PCMC Waste-to-Energy Plant at Moshi
Nine people were rescued overnight from the debris of a collapsed waste-to-energy plant at Moshi in Pimpri-Chinchwad, with search and rescue teams working to locate an estimated ten to twelve others still believed to be trapped. The waste-to-energy plant is operated by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. State Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan visited the site and told reporters that the priority was ensuring no lives would be lost. Mahajan explained that the dumping ground at Moshi has been in use since 1982 and is nearly 47 years old. A building had been constructed nearby by the department. Continuous rain over the previous two days caused the garbage to slip like a landslide, causing half of the building to collapse. At the time of the collapse, approximately 22 to 23 employees were inside, with five managing to escape immediately after the structure gave way. A joint team of the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, municipal administration, police and medical personnel worked in coordination on a war footing to reach every trapped individual as quickly as possible. Officials said all possible efforts were underway to locate remaining survivors and ensure their safe rescue. [7]
Sources: [4] Catholic Connect · [7] Deccan Herald