The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will install safety grills on approximately 1.19 lakh manholes. This will make the city safer for its residents and pedestrians.
The move follows a tragic incident involving Dr. Deepak Amrapukar, a renowned gastroenterologist from Mumbai. He lost his life after falling into an open manhole in 2017. This incident prompted the BMC to commit to securing all manholes. But their progress has faced criticism from the Bombay High Court (HC) for delays in implementation.
Recently, the BMC took concrete steps to address this issue. They issued a request for proposals (RFP) to install grills on 256 manholes throughout the city. Additionally, BMC is exploring various materials for these grills. This includes ductile iron, fibre, and iron, with a focus on balancing cost and quality.
As of now, BMC has successfully placed safety grills on 4,500 stormwater drain manholes and 1,800 sewage drain manholes. These ductile iron grills cost INR 8,500 each. However, civic activists like Anil Galgali and Nikhil Desai have expressed doubts about BMC's ability to install 1.19 lakh grills within a year without a comprehensive plan, as per Midday.
BMC officials assert that the installation of grills on all manholes will be completed before the upcoming monsoon.
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