The Bombay High Court has instructed all Municipal Corporations in Maharashtra to provide information on the total number of manholes within their areas and the presence of protective grills on them. This directive came after advocate Ruju Thakker raised concerns in a proactive petition following a tragic incident in Dombivli, Thane district. In the incident, a 13-year-old boy fell into an uncovered manhole filled with water.
Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Sandesh Patil, presiding over the case, have also sent notices to the Kalyan and Dombivli Municipal Corporation to submit affidavits in response to Thakker’s plea. Additionally, the court has mandated reporting the incident to a newly established municipal committee that will evaluate responsibility and consider potential compensation.
Thakker highlighted a previous incident in 2023 involving the death of Dr. Deepak Amrapurkar, a prominent gastroenterologist, in a similar mishap. Following that event, the High Court had instructed all civic bodies to install protective grills on manholes to prevent such tragedies when covers are removed. While Mumbai had made progress in implementing these safety measures, not all manholes were equipped with grills at the time of the last hearing. The court has requested an update from Mumbai authorities on this matter.
The next hearing for the suo motu petition and related interventions is scheduled for November 21.