Mumbai: The tragic death of 45-year-old Vimal Anil Gaikwad, who fell into a manhole during heavy rain in Andheri, has again catapulted the city’s manhole tragedies into the spotlight. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and demands for accountability from the civic body.
Gaikwad’s husband, who had filed a police complaint, lamented the loss of his wife, stating, “I am a sick man. My wife took care of the house. We have lost everything. Whoever is at fault, I want them to be punished.”
The BMC has launched a high-level inquiry into the incident, to be led by a deputy commissioner, and has sought a report in three days. The inquiry committee consists of Deputy Commissioner (Zone 3), Devidas Kshirsagar; Chief Fire Officer Ravindra Ambulgekar and Chief Engineer (Quality) Avinash Tambe.
The incident occurred during heavy rain that brought life in the financial capital to a standstill. Rail tracks and roads went under water and traffic came to a halt, while at least 14 inbound flights were diverted. Gaikwad fell into an overflowing manhole near Gate Number 8 of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation building in Andheri East.
Cops and fire brigade personnel took her to Cooper Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Hargun Singh, General Secretary, Mumbai Youth Congress, said, “The tragic death of Vimal Gaikwad, who fell into a manhole during heavy rains, is not an accident but the result of sheer negligence by BMC and MMRDA officials. It’s appalling that in one of India’s wealthiest municipal corporations, citizens lose their lives due to government apathy.
We demand Rs one crore in compensation for Vimal Gaikwad’s family, a government job for a family member, and immediate suspension of all BMC officers and contractors responsible, with strict legal action to follow.”
The death also raises the issue of the BMC’s failure to address the life-threatening problem of stolen manhole covers. Manhole covers made of cast iron fetch a good price in the black market – anywhere from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 – which makes them the sitting target of petty thieves.
The number of drain cover thefts has gone up over the years. Last year alone, there were 791 cases of such thefts, with an all-time high (so far) of 836 being recorded in 2021.
The death of Gaikwad on Wednesday is another addition to the list of manhole tragedies in Mumbai. Earlier this year, in April, three people - Raghu Solanki, Javed Shaikh and his brother Aqib Shaikh fell into a manhole in Malad east. Raghu and Javed died in the incident, while Aqib survived with severe injuries.
In March, three labourers, Suraj Kevat, Bikas Kevat, and Ramlagan Kevat died after falling into a sewer drain in Malad west. On August 29, 2017, a gastroenterologist, Dr Deepak Amrapurkar, died after falling into a manhole near Prabhadevi during heavy rain.
The above list of fatalities is not exhaustive, and it is imperative to acknowledge the pain and suffering endured by the families of these victims. The Bombay High Court has repeatedly called upon the BMC to instal grilles on manholes to protect the covers from thieves.
However, so far, only 1,908 of the total 74,682 manholes in the city have been fortified with grilles. The BMC’s lack of action on this issue has been criticised by many, with some arguing that it was only a matter of time before another such tragedy occurred and so it did, on Wednesday
