Speak up Mumbai: Hell holes! Will BMC ever cover open manholes?

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) faces criticism every year for its negligence which puts citizen's lives at risk. However, the civic body is yet to learn its lesson. Open manholes around the city is one such legacy that reflects the failure of the civic body to fulfil its responsibilities. Open manholes not only pose threat to lives of the citizens, but could also lead to fatal accidents. During August 29 deluge last year, a prominent gastroenterologist from Bombay Hospital, Dr Deepak Amrapurkar died after falling into an open manhole. The BMC had been on the receiving end of consistent flax post the incident. However, investigation revealed that five local residents opened the manhole cover to help recede the rain water and left them unattended, giving a clean chit to BMC employees.

This year is no exception. On Friday two motorists tumbled into an open manhole in Matunga. It was the local people who covered the manhole after waiting for BMC to do its duty in vain. The BMC has now registered an FIR in Matunga police station against unknown citing sabotage.

Questions are being raised as to why BMC is not alert about a a manhole lying open and unattended in the middle of the road. Mumbaikars rant about how open manholes are death traps and how BMC is negligent about it, while DNA listens in.

VOICES

During monsoon when finding public transport is a big challenge, I dare to walk my way on the flooded roads. Knowing that there are open and unattended manholes. People are losing their lives, but BMC officials are yet to lear their lessons. Not attending open manholes and letting people die is a criminal offence.
—Owais Mirza, resident of Mazgaon

There are so many open manholes. Most manholes are not covered properly after road repair work. Neither do they put up any barricade or caution sign. One has to watch one's steps, or you may just fall into one of the open manholes. Why don't the BMC workers cover the holes properly after completing their work?
—Manda Shete, resident of Chembur

The civic body should learn lessons from the past. This year, small boy lost his life due to its sheer negligence of BMC. During heavy rains, BMC should take precautionary measures so that citizens don't have to suffer due to open manholes. It is definitely becoming a death trap during monsoon and the authority should be held responsible if manholes are kept open without caution signs.
—Jayshree Nagvekar, Andheri

The BMC should ensure that no one can open the manholes, neither should they be left open and unattended. It is a death trap, for pedestrians as well as motorists. It is BMC's responsibility to ensure that the manholes are closed immediately after completion of any repair work that required them to open the manholes. Strict action should also be taken against the people who open the manholes during flooding and leave them unattended. At the same time, the BMC should take measures to prevent floodsin the city.
—Nirali Koradia, Mulund east

Due to BMC's sheer negligence, the manholes have turned into death traps today. A variety of retention and high-security locking systems are available to clamp down on manhole cover theft. A student had come up with similar technique recently, the BMC should implement such techniques. Like every year nullahs were not cleaned, causing the areas to flood. The BMC is totally failing in its responsibility.
— Vinod Roshan D'Souza, Bandra

If anyone feels that open manholes aren't dangerous, then there is some introspection warranted. BMC, need to take cognizance of the issue and resolve it soon. During maddening Mumbai monsoons, open manholes become a greater threat. Citizens also need to be vigilant and do their bit to report cases of stealth, damage or open manhole covers to help avert any untoward incident from occurring.
—Hiren Metalia, Malad

An open manhole during monsoon and especially if it's flooded, is nothing less than a death trap. Last year we lost a bright soul near Deepak talkies, which is so close to my house. Imagining that someone drowned because they fell in a manhole sends a chill down my spine. Opening manholes for water to recede is an age old technique during flood like situation, but in a developing nation with the richest Municipal Corporation we need to come up with foolproof solutions.
—Pradnya Khandori, Worli

Time and again manholes have proved dangerous to everyone from motorists to pedestrians. Some potholes had been serial killers! Every year there are news of deaths at the same location. That's beyond acceptable. If a society has to move ahead, it cannot make careless recurring mistakes like these. The authorities from elected representatives and officials should be made liable for such incidents.
—Yashraj Akashi, resident of Dadar

EXPERT SPEAK

It's not just Matunga, manholes on the stormwater drain are lying open near Kalina Education Society. I complained to ward office and storm water drains officer, bur in vain. We activists keep complaining, fight for people's safety and follow up with ward office till an action is taken. It's only after a mishap the BMC wakes up. They try to take to take preventive measures, but most of them fail. BMC will be held responsible for any unfortunate incident since they did not take any action despite raising complaints.
—Stany Dsouza, ALM of Kalina

I fail to understand that how a manhole in middle of a main road in Matunga is lying open for so long and neither the BMC nor traffic police is aware of it. The BMC has not learnt any lesson from last year's incident where a doctor lost his life. I have been raising so many civic issues with ward office, but they hardly pay heed. On Saturday a manhole was dislodged on BA Road. I called up disaster management control room, yet no danger sign was put near it. The area was flooded, anybody could have met with an accident.
—Nikhil Desai, activist from Matunga