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Ludhiana: 68-yr-old man falls into open manhole, injured
An elderly man fell into a seven foot deep pit near Tooti Wala Mandir in the Shivpuri area. Passersby rushed to the spot and managed to pull the elderly man out of the pit. He sustained serious injuries and was later taken to a nearby hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment.
A 68-year-old man suffered injuries after falling into a nearly seven-foot-deep pit dug for a manhole near Tooti Wala Mandir in the Shivpuri area on Monday morning, with residents blaming poor barricading and unsafe civic works for the accident.
According to residents, the elderly man was riding his scooter and had stepped out to purchase household items when the accident occurred. As he was passing near the temple, he reportedly lost balance and fell into the deep pit that had been dug on the roadside.
Passersby rushed to the spot and managed to pull the elderly man out of the pit. He sustained serious injuries and was later taken to a nearby hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment.
Residents said the road in the area has been in a dilapidated condition for several months, with deep potholes posing a constant risk to commuters. They alleged that despite repeated complaints, the authorities had failed to repair the stretch.
Locals further claimed that the pit had been dug on Sunday night for the construction of a manhole, but proper barricading was not ensured at the site. Instead of closing the road completely, only a narrow passage of around two feet was left open, which created confusion among commuters using the stretch.
Residents said one person had a narrow escape early in the morning. However, around 9 am, the elderly man fell into the pit when two two-wheelers attempted to pass through the narrow space at the same time.
They alleged that civic authorities should have completely barricaded the site to prevent vehicular movement. “Today an elderly man narrowly escaped a major tragedy. If the road is not repaired and safety measures are not ensured, a bigger accident can occur,” said a resident.
Social activist Karan Walia said he would write to the Punjab State Human Rights Commission seeking action against officials and employees of the municipal corporation for alleged negligence. Repeated lapses in civic works could put people’s lives at risk, he added.
Meanwhile, residents have demanded that the local councillor and the area MLA intervene and ensure immediate repair of the road and proper filling of the dangerous pits.
Responding to the allegations, O&M Cell executive engineer Kamal Ram said, “The pit had been dug late on Sunday night for construction of a manhole. A two-foot passage was left open on the request of shopkeepers so that pedestrians could access nearby shops and business activities were not affected.”
Ram, however, claimed that two-wheeler riders started using the narrow passage. “When a motorcycle and a scooter tried to pass simultaneously, the scooter rider lost balance and fell into the pit. Civic body workers present at the spot helped rescue the man. Barricading had been placed around the pit,” the executive engineer said.
