Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 3 (ANI): NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Friday blamed “lack of proper maintenance” by the concerned authorities for the death of a man who fell into an open manhole in Mumbai’s Sakinaka area, saying that such incidents recur each year. The victim’s family has demanded accountability, compensation and stricter safety measures to prevent similar incidents.
Speaking to ANI after meeting the family of the deceased, Aslam Isak Shaikh, Pawar said such incidents recur every year during the monsoon despite substantial allocations for civic preparedness.
“Unfortunately, people fall into these manholes and lose their lives due to a lack of proper maintenance; this is a recurring annual issue. The municipal corporation has a budget of approximately Rs 81,000 crore. About Rs 250 crore is spent on pre-monsoon preparations addressing manholes, drains and trees before the rains arrive,” the NCP (SP) MLA said.
He further said the bereaved family had lost faith and questioned why accountability rarely extended beyond lower-level officials.
“We met Aslam Bhai’s family members, and they were furious; they have no faith in any politicians. They argue that while action is taken against low-level officials, nothing happens to the senior officers,” the NCP (SP) legislator said.
Meanwhile, Shaikh’s wife held the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) responsible for the incident and urged authorities to ensure that open manholes are properly secured.
“Do not keep manholes anywhere. If there is an open manhole, it is BMC’s mistake. Take care of the common people too. Do something so that nobody falls into the manhole. Open manholes are leading to deaths,” she said.
The deceased’s sister-in-law also questioned repeated lapses by contractors and the authorities, saying similar incidents occur every monsoon despite recurring warnings.
“Why do contractors make mistakes? The same mistakes are repeated every monsoon. When will the mistakes be rectified? Are they children who need to be taught things? When will the Government learn? Will they understand only when someone from a big politician’s house loses their life? It is the duty of the Government to take care of things. What are they doing?” she asked.
Demanding action against those responsible, she called for compensation for the bereaved family and employment for the victim’s wife.
“We demand compensation. His wife should be given a government job, and this should never happen to anyone. Contractors should work with safety tools. Do not play with anyone’s life,” she added.
The incident has once again raised concerns over monsoon preparedness and the safety measures adopted by civic authorities in Mumbai, particularly with regard to open manholes and public infrastructure during the rainy season. (ANI)
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