Mumbai: The true cost of missing manhole lids

A notice board warning pedestrians about an open manhole at Hindmata on June 9, 2021. File pic

Despite the passage of time, the scars will never fade for families whose loved ones died in manhole-related accidents. Some bereaved Mumbaikars opened up to mid-day about how justice continues to elude them as well as the anguish and despair they face while waiting in vain for closure. The dangers posed by open manholes came to the forefront following the death of Dr Deepak Amrapurkar six years ago.

The gastroenterologist, who practised at Bombay Hospital, was on his way to his home in Prabhadevi when his car got stuck on a flooded road near Elphinstone Road railway station on August 29, 2017. As he was near his residence, he informed his family that he would walk back. However, he was sucked into an open manhole. His body was found in a drain in Worli two days after his disappearance. The police booked four men under Section 304 (A) (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) but after the incident, the manhole menace continued to claim the lives of Mumbaikars. Many petitioners knocked on the doors of the court raising concerns about the safety of the pedestrians. Dr Amrapurkar's family, which is still unable to cope with the loss, refused to speak to mid-day, saying it would bring back the painful memories.

Kamlaben Shah, 68, fell into a manhole in 2022; Sheetal Bhanushali, 32, lost her life in October 2020 and Dr Deepak Amrapurkar, died in 2017 incident

Family seeks answers

On October 7, 2022, 68-year-old Kamlaben Shah, a resident of Virar, left her home to visit a nearby Jain temple but never returned. Her lifeless body was discovered in an open manhole near Swami Narayan Mandir in Virar the following day. The police registered an accidental death report, leaving the family to seek answers and justice.

Recounting the incident that changed his life forever, the deceased's son, Jiten Gulabchand Shah, 45, said, "It was an ordinary day for us. My mother was on her way to the derasar [temple], as a minor festival was being held. She left the house at 6.30 am, unaware of the open manhole lurking in the darkness. The next thing we knew, she had fallen in, and she never returned."

Virar resident Kamlaben Shah, 68, with her family. The senior citizen fell into a manhole on the morning of October 7, 2022 and died; (right) An open manhole at Lokhandwala in Andheri. File pic

The grief in his eyes was palpable as he continued, "The authorities are to blame for this tragedy. They left the manhole uncovered, and even though they closed the one that took my mother's life, countless others remain dangerously open. It's baffling to think what they are waiting for."

Shah said that his household remains forever altered by the sudden loss of his mother. "We all miss her terribly. She was in great health and had no ailments," he said.

Anil Galgali, RTI activist

Asked about compensation, Shah's face turned sombre. "The government has not offered any compensation. The case has come to a standstill, and there has been no progress," he said.

He added, "Every time I step out of my house and come across an open manhole, a deep sense of frustration engulfs me. I can't help but question the inefficiency of the government and civic authorities. Why is it so challenging for them to ensure manholes are covered and secured with protective grills? Why does the urgency only seem to surface with the arrival of the monsoon season? In a city as affluent as Mumbai, with its robust municipal corporation, it's disheartening to witness such preventable tragedies."

A similar tragedy

Two years previously, a similar tragedy unfolded at Asalpha village in Ghatkopar - on October 4, 2020 - when Sheetal Bhanushali, 32, fell into an open manhole. Her body was discovered more than 21 km away in the sea near Haji Ali the next day. The Mumbai police registered an FIR against unknown persons under the IPC, but the identity of those responsible remains a mystery. With no progress in the case, Sheetal's family, including her two young children, continue to come to terms with the devastating loss. A neighbour said, "Sheetal was a kind-hearted homemaker. Her absence continues to haunt her family. Her sister-in-law, Neeta Bhanushali, has taken on the role of a mother to the children, who have had to endure this immense loss." A frustrated Neeta told mid-day, "It has been three agonising years since Sheetal's sudden departure. Once it was confirmed that she had fallen into the open manhole, our world shattered. Three years on, justice remains a distant dream. The compensation promised by the government is nowhere to be seen. Her children still await closure. Despite her husband's efforts to meet the municipal commissioner, the case remains stagnant."

"I am all these children have now," she added, her voice cracking with emotion. RTI activist Anil Galgali said that, as these heartrending stories underscore, the issue of open manholes and civic negligence has taken a heavy toll on families. "The pain of their loved ones' absence is only compounded by the absence of justice and accountability. While the authorities may have covered some of the open manholes, the scars left on the families affected by these incidents remain wide open, a testament to the urgent need for change and redress. Until justice is served, the families continue to wait, their hope for closure unwavering but yet to be realised."

41
Age of banker who fell into manhole in Bandra in Jan

Oct 4
Day in 2020 when Sheetal Bhanushali fell in a manhole

Others who lost their lives in manholes

. Nipurna Srivastava, 41, a banker, lost her life after falling into an open manhole in an elite society in Bandra East on January 4, 2023
. Anmol Singh, 4, fell into an open manhole near his Nalasopara home in July 2021
. Vansh Chandeliya, 5, fell into a manhole while flying a kite on Makar Sankranti in Nalasopara on January 17, 2020. The child's body was found floating in the manhole a day after he went missing
. Divyansh Singh, an 18-month-old, fell into an open manhole just a few minutes away from his residence in 2019. The BMC wrote to the Dindoshi police station to register an FIR against unknown culprits
. Mohan Rathod, a 27-year-old gym trainer, succumbed to burn injuries after his bike caught fire on falling into an open manhole around 12.30 am at Sector 21 in Ulwe on January 17, 2018