Mumbai: The BMC will attach alarms inside 14 manholes in the city that will send alerts to the nearest municipality centre if someone tries to steal the covers or tamper with them. The device will also send an alert if a manhole is about to start overflowing.
The seven- to eight-inch-long device will be installed one-and-a-half feet inside the manhole and will run on battery. The civic body has set up control rooms in B Ward, near Grant Medical College, Versova, and Pantnagar, Ghatkopar area, an officer said.
Death traps in Mumbai
Open manholes are considered death traps in Mumbai. Over the years there have been several instances of people falling into them and dying. During monsoons there are more chances of people falling into the manholes because of flooding.
According to the BMC, anti-social elements steal manhole covers. Mumbaikars too sometimes pry them out to let rain-waters recede more quickly.
On Wednesday, the Bombay High Court criticised the BMC for not covering open manholes and asked the civic body whether it would appoint an officer to address the issue.
Officials told The Free Press Journal that the BMC had appointed a firm that will make and install the alarm system. BMC engineers had invented the device six months ago but the civic body was in search of a firm that could produce it in bulk quantities.
“The device was invented by our engineers. Such a device is not available in the market. Initially we will install the device inside 14manholes in the city. Thereafter we will install them in eastern and western suburbs. The BMC is spending around Rs11 lakh on these devices,” an official said.
Total manholes
1L
Storm-water Department manholes
25,000
Sewage Water Department manholes
City: 27,078
Western suburbs: 31,621
Eastern suburbs: 15,983
Total: 74,682
OPEN DEATH TRAPS
2017
Renowned gastroenterologist Dr Deepak Amrapurkar falls into a manhole near Prabhadevi
2018
18-year-old falls into a manhole in Malad
2020
32-year-old woman fall into a manhole in Ghatkopar; her body is found near Haji Ali
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