Mulund residents irked by over 15 open manholes in the vicinity

According to residents of Hari Om Nagar in Mulund, from past six months manhole covers from footpath and roads are being stolen thereby risking lives of senior citizens and school going children

Residents of Hari Om Nagar in Mulund are annoyed by missing manhole covers in their area. According to them, from last six months manhole covers from footpath and roads are being stolen thereby risking lives of senior citizens and school going children who use the footpaths regularly.

Open manhole cover near a school bus stop. Pic/Ankoor Anvekar

With schools around the vicinity, parents have raised concern over their ward's safety as there is an open manhole near school bus stop in the area. "These manholes are very deep and can badly injure any person falling into it especially school going children and senior citizens. In our area itself there are several manholes which do not have covers," said Veena Nair, a resident of Hari Om Nagar.

Dilip Honrao points out a open manhole

Locals further revealed that the manhole covers are usually stolen by drug peddlers during the night time. When mid-day visited the area on Tuesday, more than 15 manholes in the vicinity. At some stretches covers of manholes present on the roads were also missing and were kept open without any caution board or temporary covers.

"Walking on the foot path feels more risky as manhole covers go missing and hence walking on the road is preferable option at a times," said another resident.

Another manhole in the same vicinity

65-year-old Dilip Honrao, who also stays in Hari Om Nagar pointed out that manhole covers have started missing from past few months and there are stretches in the area were open manholes are not clearly visible in dark, thereby posing a threat to motorists as well. "Manhole covers are also missing from stretches where cars are parked. This might pose as a threat to them while they try to park their vehicles in dark. Further, covers are also stolen from the entrance of housing societies and foot paths adjacent to them. It becomes difficult to recognise uncovered manhole from a distance, especially for senior citizens like me," Honrao added.

BMC Speak
When mid-day informed the concerned official from T-ward about the situation at Hari Om Nagar and questioned about the monitoring of these manhole covers, the ward officer Chanda Jadhav, said, "We will look into the matter and soon take necessary measures."

Meanwhile, locals revealed that until now cases of people falling in these open manholes are not reported anywhere in the area yet. "Fortunately, no one has become a victim of these open manholes. However precautions must be taken to avoid any such incident in future," Veena said.

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