BMC cautions citizens against opening manholes to avoid falling into drains during monsoon

Mumbai: With the onset of monsoon, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) cautioned people on Thursday against opening manholes to avoid a tragedy such as a city-based doctor’s death in 2017.

Dr Deepak Amarapurkar, a well-known gastroenterologist, died after falling into an open manhole while walking down a flooded street in south Mumbai during the torrential rain on August 29, 2017. The cover of the manhole had been removed by some people to allow the water to drain out quickly.

Issuing an advisory on Thursday, assistant commissioner of G North ward said that civic administration has taken several precautionary measures to avoid a repeat of such an incident.

“The BMC has fixed protective grills in flooding-prone areas per Bombay High Court directives….Banners are also displayed at various flooding locations to appeal the citizens not to open manholes and inform BMC office if any manhole cover is found missing,” the advisory said.

Following Dr Amarapurkar’s death, police arrested four men who had allegedly opened the manhole. They were charged under section 304 (A) (causing death by negligence) of the IPC and the matter is now before a court.