Elderly Mumbai man drowns after falling into manhole amid rain; 4 officials suspended

A 60-year-old pedestrian fell into an open manhole on Khairani Road during drainage repairs and died. The BMC has announced action against the contractor as police examine safety lapses at the site.

In Short

• Victim Aslam Isak Shaikh lived in Yadav Nagar in Sakinaka
• Contract workers had removed the cover for drainage grill repairs nearby
• Workers found only his umbrella and slippers amid the strong water flow

Drainage maintenance work on Mumbai's Khairani Road turned tragic on Wednesday after a 60-year-old pedestrian fell into an open manhole left uncovered during the repairs and died. The incident occurred in the Sakinaka area, prompting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to announce action against the contractor responsible for the work.

The deceased was identified as Aslam Isak Shaikh, a resident of Yadav Nagar in Sakinaka. According to police, private contractual workers had removed the manhole cover to carry out repair work on a water drainage grill near Sanman Hotel and S J Studio when the incident took place.

Preliminary information suggests that Shaikh was walking along the road and talking on his mobile phone when he accidentally stepped into the open manhole. The workers immediately attempted to locate him by lowering a ladder into the drainage channel but recovered only his umbrella and slippers. The strong flow of water inside the drain made it difficult to determine where he had been swept away.

The Mumbai Fire Brigade was alerted soon after the incident and launched a search and rescue operation. After several hours of searching, firefighters located Shaikh's body inside the drainage channel and recovered it.

PROBE UNDERWAY, BMC OFFICIALS SUSPENDED

Police registered the incident and launched an investigation into whether adequate safety measures were in place at the maintenance site. Officials are examining whether the contractor had installed proper barricades, warning signs or other safeguards before removing the manhole cover.

Reacting to the incident, Mumbai Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi said the BMC would initiate action against the contractor for leaving the manhole open. He said the civic body would investigate possible lapses in safety protocols during the maintenance work.

The incident has raised fresh concerns over safety arrangements at civic repair sites, particularly during the monsoon when waterlogged drains and poor visibility increase the risk of accidents.

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde, who rushed to the spot, announced financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh for the family of Aslam Shaikh.

Reacting to the accident, she termed the incident "deeply unfortunate" and acknowledged lapses in carrying out maintenance work during heavy rainfall. She said the manhole had originally been covered but was opened to install a safety grate, adding that the ongoing "Red Alert" and waterlogging would have made it impossible for pedestrians to notice the open manhole.

Tawde said such work should not have been undertaken during heavy rains and noted that she had repeatedly instructed officials to complete all grate installation before the onset of the monsoon.

The mayor said immediate action had been initiated against the officials responsible, holding the ward officer primarily accountable and seeking her immediate suspension. She also called for charges of culpable homicide to be filed against those responsible, stating that carrying out the work during a "Red Alert" amid heavy rainfall was a serious administrative lapse.

Following the fatal manhole accident in Mumbai's Sakinaka, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced the immediate suspension of four officials pending an inquiry, citing apparent negligence and carelessness in the execution of the drainage maintenance work.

The suspended officials are Assistant Commissioner Dhanaji Herlekar (L Ward), Assistant/Sub-Engineer Deepak Chowgule (L Ward), Junior Engineer Abhijit Chougule and Assistant Engineer Uttam Patil.

'IRRESPONSIBLE HANDLING OF WORK'

In its order, the civic body said the accident, which claimed the life of a pedestrian after he fell into an open manhole on Khairani Road in Sakinaka at around noon on Thursday, occurred due to irresponsible handling of the work. It noted that despite repeated pre-monsoon review meetings and clear instructions to ensure the safety of drainage infrastructure, the incident resulted in a preventable loss of life.

The BMC has also constituted a four-member inquiry committee to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident and recommend measures to prevent similar accidents in the future. The panel comprises the Additional Municipal Commissioner (Suburbs), the Deputy Commissioner (General Administration), the Deputy Commissioner (Circle-I) and the Deputy Commissioner (Infrastructure).

According to the order, the committee will examine all aspects of the incident, including adherence to safety protocols during the maintenance work, identify lapses in supervision and execution, and submit its report to the civic administration within the stipulated time frame.

The BMC further said that although instructions had been issued to the contractor engaged by the L Ward for the drainage work, adequate safety precautions were not taken while the work was being carried out despite the sensitive nature of the operation.

- Ends