Mumbai: Manhole covers on Mrinal Gore Flyover go missing

The ghost of unkempt infrastructure has returned, this time on the newly inaugurated Mrinal Gore Flyover in Goregaon. The overpass, which was thrown open to the public at the hands of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, is now riddled with open manholes, endangering lives of motorists and pedestrians.

The manholes start parallel to the flyover's landing on the Western Express Highway and go on for some distance

There are around five manholes on the 2-km flyover whose lids have gone missing. They are located on a tiled footpath, which is levelled with the road. "These open manholes are dangerous, especially for two-wheelers," said S Nair, a Borivli resident who travels to Goregaon for work.

PWD says the manhole covers are either stolen, or commuters park their vehicles on them, to escape the traffic

The manholes start in a straight line, parallel to the flyover's landing on the Western Express Highway and go on for some distance. They could pose danger in the night, especially when it is raining. It becomes difficult to even spot the manholes at night, as the streetlights are located at a distance from them.

The manholes could pose danger in the night, especially when it is raining. Pics/Prabhanjan Dhanu

"We had put the manhole covers but every now and then either it is stolen or bikers and four-wheeler drivers park their vehicle on these manholes," said an officer from the Public Works Department.

PWD says
Sources said that recently a tyre of a four-wheeler got stuck in one of the open manholes, and then it had to be lifted using a crane. As the height of the footpath is not above the road, many motorists ply their vehicles on it to skip the traffic. The PWD officials claim that due to the pressure, the cover cracks open.

"We will surely install new ones immediately," said SS Deshmukh from PWD.