Nagpur: The recent death of a man after she fell into an open manhole during heavy rain in Mumbai has once again highlighted the deadly consequences of neglected civic infrastructure.Documents accessed by TOI reveal that Nagpur is sitting on a similar hazard, with the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) aware for months that 1,383 manholes across the city require immediate maintenance.A citywide survey commissioned by NMC through a private agency four months ago at a cost of 24 lakh assessed the condition of 18,654 manholes. The report, submitted to all 10 municipal zones before the monsoon, found 16,683 manholes in satisfactory condition, while 1,971 required repairs. Of these, 1,383 were classified as needing immediate attention and 588 were found to be mildly damaged.The findings amounted to a clear pre-monsoon warning. However, NMC has not disclosed how many of the identified manholes have since been repaired, raising concerns over commuter safety as heavy rains continue.A ground survey by TOI found several damaged and unsafe manhole covers still lying unattended.At Panchsheel Nagar in Gittikhadan, one cover partially collapsed into the chamber, leaving the other half dangerously tilted upwards. Similar hazards were spotted on Kalyaneshwar Mandir Road, in Mangalwari (Mahal), at Padole Square, Tekdi Road, North Ambazari Road, Orange City Street and Rajiv Nagar (Wardha Road).In many parts of the city, drainage lines run beneath footpaths, where missing or broken manhole covers pose a risk to pedestrians, particularly at night. Waterlogged roads during rains further conceal these hazards.Standing Committee member and corporator Abhijeet Jha demanded an immediate ward-wise audit and replacement of all defective covers with ISI-certified heavy-duty covers. He also sought geo-tagging of every manhole, periodic inspections and mandatory replacement of missing or damaged covers within 24 hours, along with action against negligent officials.BJP corporator Manoj Sable said nearly 100 manhole covers are damaged in his Prabhag 17 alone. “NMC has sanctioned 10 lakh for replacing them and work will begin soon,” he said.With the Mumbai tragedy serving as a grim reminder, the question confronting Nagpur is whether it will act on the warnings already in its possession or wait for a similar disaster to force its hand.
