The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set a bold target to enhance safety by installing protective grills on approximately 1.19 lakh manholes. Over the past six years, BMC has made progress by fitting grills on 6,300 manholes. The missing manhole covers in the city had previously received extensive coverage, revealing the existence of a syndicate operating from neighboring Gujarat.
The impetus for this initiative traces back to 2017 when Mumbai lost its prominent gastroenterologist, Dr. Deepak Amrapukar, who tragically fell into an uncovered manhole. Following this incident, BMC pledged to safeguard all manholes with safety grills. However, the recent criticism from the Bombay High Court spurred BMC to accelerate its efforts.
In response to the court’s rebuke, BMC has taken steps to secure the remaining 1.19 lakh manholes with protective grills.