MUMBAI: Deputy mayor Sanjay Ghadi of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Thursday demanded the resignation of municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide, holding the civic administration accountable for the death of a 55-year-old man who fell into an open manhole during civic works at Khairani Road in Saki Naka.Ghadi visited the accident site hours after the incident and alleged that the tragedy was the result of administrative negligence and the BMC’s failure to implement basic safety measures. His demand came even as the BMC suspended four officials, including the L ward assistant commissioner, pending an inquiry, and ordered the blacklisting of the contractor for alleged safety lapses.“There should have been a comprehensive inspection to ensure that all manholes were fitted with adequate protective grills before the monsoon. If necessary, the BMC should have floated a dedicated tender for the work. In fact, if public safety demanded it, such an important exercise should have been undertaken even without waiting for the tendering process,” Ghadi said.Referring to the death of actor Deepak Amrapurkar, who died after falling into an uncovered manhole during heavy rain in 2017, Ghadi said the civic administration had failed to learn from past tragedies.“Despite the painful memory of Dr Deepak Amrapurkar’s death, the municipal administration has not taken sufficient preventive measures. This incident reflects a serious lapse in planning and execution. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide must take responsibility for what has happened,” he said.The victim, Aslam Isak Shaikh (55), died after falling into an open manhole while BMC workers were installing a protective grill over it.According to the civic body, workers attempted to warn Shaikh as he approached the site, but he reportedly lost his balance and fell into the manhole. The BMC has constituted a high-level inquiry committee, suspended four officials pending investigation, ordered the contractor to be blacklisted, and announced an ex gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased’s family.
