Mumbai: Thieves use gas-cutter to steal manhole lids in Bhayandar

The spate of thefts of manhole covers in various parts of Bhayandar has become a major cause for concern to citizens as well as the civic administration.

The theft has been captured by some of the Closed Circuit Tele- Vision (CCTV) cameras in which the thieves can be seen using gas cutters to cut and lift more than ten iron manhole lids during the wee hours on Friday.

The scrap value of the lids made out of heavy iron metal weighing around 800 kilograms is pegged at around Rs. 60,000.

Sectional engineer-Bhupesh Kaakde who is attached to the public works department (PWD) registered a complaint at the Bhayandar police station on behalf of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC).

“Yes, an offence under sections 379 of the IPC has been registered and efforts were on to trace and apprehend the culprits,” confirmed a police officer.

“Stealing of manhole covers made of iron bars is rampant. To combat the menace, we have already started replacing them with Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) lids as they are strong but has no recycle and resale value,” said, City Engineer Deepak Khambit.

Following the death of the 37-year-old painter in the Sheetal Nagar area of Mira Road, the police had registered an offence under section 304 (a) which pertains to causing death by negligence, against an influential private contractor and civic personnel who shouldered the responsibility of inspections in the concerned division.

Broken or lidless manholes on pavements have become yawning traps which have claimed the lives of many pedestrians in the twin city. Besides, those lying open on roads and by lanes also leave motorists at risk.