Mumbai: Facing sharp criticism over civic safety following the fatal open manhole incident in Sakinaka, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched a dedicated WhatsApp chatbot (9324500600) for reporting open, damaged or missing manhole covers. The move follows the civic body's assurance to the Bombay High Court that it would introduce a separate complaint mechanism for open manholes and fallen trees.
Citizens can lodge complaints by sharing the location and a photograph of the site through the chatbot or the MyBMC MARG app, after which a unique complaint number is generated for tracking. Complaints can also be registered through the BMC's general WhatsApp chatbot (8999228999), the civic portal or the 1916 helpline. The initiative comes days after 55-year-old daily wage labourer Aslam Shaikh died after falling into an open sewage manhole on Khairani Road in Sakinaka on July 2, where work to install a protective safety net was underway.
The BMC maintains over one lakh manholes across Mumbai, including nearly 80,000 under its Sewerage Operations Department. According to civic records, 96,383 manholes have been fitted with protective safety nets, while 1,800 buried during earlier road works and 4,446 reopened for infrastructure projects are being restored with covers and safety nets as work progresses.
How to Report Open Manholes...
• MyBMC MARG app: Log in using your mobile number and OTP, select 'New Registration', choose the complaint category, upload a photograph or geo-tagged image, and submit the complaint. A unique complaint number is generated for tracking.
• WhatsApp: Send "Manhole" or "M" (or "Pothole"/"P" for pothole complaints) along with the location and a photograph.
• Other options: Register complaints through the BMC portal (Citizen Services → Apply → Complaints → All) or call the 1916 helpline. If a photograph is required, citizens receive a link to upload or capture a geo-tagged image.
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