Mumbai: Court brings order, but why are manhole thefts on rise?

An open manhole at Bandra Kurla Complex on April 26, 2022. File Pic/Sameer Markande

On Monday, all 24 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) ward officers submitted reports to civic administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal, claiming that every manhole in their respective zones has been adequately covered. However, officials can't rule out the possibility of manhole covers being stolen after their inspection due to their popularity among drug addicts. These covers, made of cast iron, are particularly appealing to anti-social elements as they fetch a significant price when sold to scrap dealers.

The ongoing theft of manhole covers is also worrying the Mumbai Police, as there were approximately 53 reported thefts this year alone, in which 400 manhole covers were stolen. According to the BMC, all of them have been recovered. The Bombay High Court on August 11 asked the BMC to inspect manholes across the city with court-appointed officers and submit a report within four weeks.

Dr Deepak Amrapurkar, who died after falling into an open manhole amid heavy rain near Prabhadevi on August 29, 2017

The dangers posed by open manholes came to the forefront following the death of Dr Deepak Amrapurkar, 58, who practised at Bombay Hospital. The gastroenterologist was on his way home in Prabhadevi when his car got stuck on a flooded road near Elphinstone Road railway station on August 29, 2017. As he was very close to his home, he informed his family that he would walk the rest of the way, but was sucked into the open manhole. His body was found in a drain in Worli two days after his disappearance. The police eventually booked four men under Section 304 (A) (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

After this, too, more Mumbaikars lost lives after falling into manholes. Many petitioners knocked on the doors of the court, raising concerns over the safety of the pedestrians. In the past two months, the city police have responded promptly to the surge in theft cases involving manhole covers. They apprehended 48 suspects. These individuals resorted to selling the stolen covers to scrap dealers for the sum of Rs 400-500 each. Notably, the police have also taken action against certain scrap dealers.

"Those arrested have been charged under Sections 379 (theft) and 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) of the IPC," said Satyanarayan Chaudhary, joint commissioner, law and order. "We maintain constant vigilance over manhole covers and respond promptly to theft complaints," he added. An official said most of the culprits were drug addicts and, in some instances, beggars. "The accused pilfered manhole covers and subsequently sold them to scrap dealers. Several drug addicts apprehended by local police stations have a history of multiple manhole thefts and cases involving the theft of government property," revealed the official. "Their focus often lies in isolated areas, where surveillance cameras are absent," he added.

An open manhole at Bandra Kurla Complex on April 26, 2022. File Pic/Sameer MarkandeAn open manhole at Bandra Kurla Complex on April 26, 2022. File Pic/Sameer Markande

The city police have issued a cautionary advisory to scrap dealers, urging them to abstain from procuring manhole covers and, instead, notify the authorities. In response to the consistent influx of cases reported by the BMC, the authorities initiated legal action against scrap dealers. This initiative gained momentum once the police managed to recover the manhole covers, each of which cost the BMC Rs 8,000 to Rs 9,000. As per BMC records, Mumbai boasts an extensive sewage network spanning approximately 2,030 kilometres, featuring a total of 74,682 manholes throughout the city.

Over the past five years, BMC has witnessed a notable upswing in manhole cover theft cases. To put things into perspective, in 2022, BMC reported 836 instances of manhole cover theft, while the number was 564 and 448 in 2021 and 2020, respectively. The high court, in July, had reprimanded the BMC for its failure to secure manholes with protective grills. It inquired about the BMC's lack of adherence to a 2018 order and questioned its implementation during the hearing of a public interest litigation prompted by the death of Dr Amarapurkar. In response, the BMC revealed that merely 1,908 manhole covers in flood-prone areas of Mumbai had been fortified with protective grills. The BMC assured the court that they were committed to completing the task of covering all manholes with protective grills by June 2024.

Civic officials highlighted the shift in the behaviour of the city police. Previously, the police didn't register cases or take action, but in response to the court's order, they have since been proactive in addressing theft complaints.

August 11
Day the high court came down hard on BMC

400
No. of manhole covers that have been stolen this year

53 
No of cases filed this year for manhole thefts

Rs 400-Rs 500
Money each manhole lid fetches in the scrap market