Mumbai rains: BMC will not put protective nets under manholes in the suburbs

Pothole in Mumbai. File pic

With the Mumbai monsoons around the corner, pedestrians in the suburbs beware of wading through water logged roads this monsoon. As per a recent report the civic body will not be fixing protective nets under manholes to prevent casualties - in case one of them are left open.

After the death of leading gastroenterologist Dr Deepak Amarapurkar, who fell into an open manhole near Elphinstone Road last monsoon, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had decided to fix protective nets under one lakh manholes in Mumbai. But despite this promise, a repot by the Hindustan Times stated that as per a senior civic official from the storm water drains department, the BMC will not be fixing nets under the manholes in the suburbs this monsoon.

In a recent review meeting, where the additional municipal commissioner Vijay Singhal, in-charge, SWD department chaired the meeting, the BMC stated that they had fixed 900 nets under those many manholes in Mumbai.

A SWD official said, "We shortlisted flood-prone areas only in the island city. We asked ward officials from the suburbs to send us a list of areas where manholes will need an additional protective cover. We received no response. We have identified 1,450 manholes in low-lying flood-prone spots in the city. The remaining nets will be fixed by May-end," he said. In his budget speech civic chief Ajoy Mehta, said that tenders are being floated for the same.

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