Mumbai: PWD's cover blown, manholes open again

The death traps are back on the Mrinal Gore flyover. Less than a month-and-a-half after five manholes on the 2-km overpass in Goregaon were covered by the public works department (PWD), the lids of four of them have gone missing again.

June 28

mid-day had reported an open manhole on the Mrinal Gore flyover, which posed a threat to motorists and pedestrians

mid-day had on June 29 put the spotlight on the open manholes. By the next day, the PWD covered all of them, blaming miscreants for their theft.

June 29

The very next day, all manholes on the stretch were covered

The manholes start in a straight line on the south-bound arm, parallel to the flyover's landing on the Western Express Highway, on a tiled footpath. Leaving them open poses dangers to pedestrians and motorists alike.

August 11

The gaping manholes were back on August 11. Pics/Prabhanjan Dhanu

On August 11, mid-day re-visited the stretch and found that we're back to square one. Four manhole covers have allegedly been stolen.

A PWD official said such thefts have become a recurring issue. "We cover manholes, but their covers get stolen soon. We fill cover these manholes again to prevent any chance of accidents." Paresh Ingale, a motorist who regularly commutes via the flyover, said the open manholes pose a bigger threat to pedestrians. "The manhole covers get stolen each time they are placed by the authorities. They should fix the lids in such a way that it becomes difficult to remove them," he suggests.

The Mrinal Gore flyover, whose construction took six years, was opened to traffic this April 30.