A compound wall belonging to the ASC Centre collapsed onto cowsheds in Bengaluru’s Domlur Layout on Tuesday, killing five cows, seriously injuring a milkman and leaving two dairy families facing major medical and livelihood losses. Residents said the wall had developed cracks and that repeated complaints about its condition had not resulted in repairs.
Muniraj, a milkman who earns his living by selling milk, was seriously injured in the collapse and admitted to a private hospital. His son, Ananth Kumar, said the family lost four cows when the wall fell onto their cowshed, which is located behind their house and next to the ASC Centre compound wall. He said doctors had advised his father to undergo surgery.
“My father is in a critical condition, and the doctors have advised him to undergo surgery. I do not know how to overcome this massive financial loss and cover my father’s medical expenses,” Ananth Kumar said.
According to the affected families, around six families have been rearing cattle in Domlur Layout for several years. Residents said rainwater would flow through the weakened wall from the ASC Centre premises whenever it rained, and that cracks had appeared in the structure. They said they had complained several times to ASC officials but received no repairs.
The families had also contributed money to build a retaining wall along the cowsheds in an effort to protect them from the damaged compound wall. Ananth Kumar said the retaining wall did not prevent the collapse and that the families had lost their cattle and livelihood assets. The incident has left the dairy households facing hospital expenses, animal treatment costs and the loss of animals used for milk production.
Savitha, a milkmaid from the area, said she lost a calf and that one of her cows was injured. She said her family had lived in the area for more than four decades and depended on rearing cattle and selling milk. The injured cow may require surgery, she said.
The collapse has also raised concerns about the safety of boundary structures adjoining homes and informal dairy settlements in a densely built urban neighbourhood. Residents said the affected cowsheds were situated directly behind houses, increasing the risk to people as well as animals when the wall failed.
The milkmen said their elected representative and BCCC officials visited the site and assured them of assistance. Civic Evangelist Vinod Jacob called for the collapsed retaining wall to be inspected and secured and for the victims to be compensated. He also urged the Greater Bengaluru Authority to strengthen maintenance and safety checks across wards, particularly before hazardous monsoon conditions.
The location has witnessed a similar fatal incident in the past. In September 2013, two children, Manoj Kumar and Tanuj, were killed after a portion of the ASC Centre compound wall collapsed onto their house in AK Colony, Domlur. At the time, it was alleged that heavy and continuous rainfall had loosened the soil beneath the wall and that the pressure of mud and rubble caused the structure to cave in onto the asbestos roof.
The Defence Public Relations Officer said the authorities were awaiting the report from the ASC Centre. The inspection report is expected to establish the condition of the wall and the circumstances surrounding Tuesday’s collapse.
