Mumbai, July 2, 2026: Maharashtra Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal informed the Legislative Assembly that all manholes across Mumbai will undergo a 100 per cent safety inspection within the next eight days following the tragic death of a 55-year-old man who fell into an open sewer manhole in Sakinaka.
Making a statement in the House, Misal described the incident as extremely serious and said a high-level inquiry committee headed by the Additional Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs) has been constituted to investigate the matter. The committee has been directed to submit its report within seven days.
The victim, Aslam Ishaq Sheikh, died after falling into an open sewer manhole on July 2. His body was recovered around 100 feet away from another manhole in the drainage line with the assistance of the Mumbai Fire Brigade.
Safety Lapses Under Probe
Misal said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had repeatedly instructed officials to ensure that all manholes, covers and protective grills were secured before the onset of the monsoon.
Although the contractor had deployed workers, equipment and protective grills at the site, a preliminary inquiry revealed that workers had opened the manhole cover to install a safety grill when the pedestrian accidentally fell into the uncovered manhole.
CCTV footage showed that mandatory safety measures, including barricades and tripods, were missing at the work site, indicating serious lapses in safety protocols during the operation.
Pending completion of the inquiry, four civic officials found prima facie responsible have been suspended. They include Assistant Commissioner Dhanaji Herlekar, Assistant Sub-Engineer Deepak Chougule, Junior Engineer Abhijit Chougule and Assistant Engineer Uttam Patil.
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Citywide Inspection Ordered
The government has also initiated the process of registering a criminal case against the contractor for failing to ensure adequate safety measures.
Additionally, all Additional Municipal Commissioners, seven zonal Deputy Commissioners and 26 ward-level Assistant Commissioners have been directed to inspect every manhole in the city and submit a comprehensive safety compliance report within eight days.
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