Manholes left open, Thane corporation turns a blind eye

The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has turned a blind eye to the increasing number of manholes which are not only taking a bad shape, but also risking lives of pedestrians and motorists. Two days back, a 23-year-old biker Shravan Choudhari from Pune, hit an elevated manhole and succumbed to severe injuries.

Manholes at several places like Wagle Estate No16 road, Hansnagar, Siddhivinayak Ram Mandir, Kopri, Gaondevi, Kalwa and Mumbra, can be seen wide open, while several footpaths are not lit properly.

Residents of these areas often complained to the local corporators about the issue and requested them to fix the manholes at the earliest, but they were directed to civic officials who are yet to look into it.

"We complained to the civic body, but they asked us to meet another official in this regard. We have been running from pillar to post to get this problem solved," said Sujay Pandit, a resident of Wagle Estate.

"Our grievances are not solved despite civic officials visiting the spot. Also, the lids of manholes are of low quality," said Kumar Ajay, a resident of Hansnagar.

"We will look into the complaint and also try to solve the issue. Also, the concerned department will be informed about this problem," said Sandeep Malvi, public relations officer, TMC.