HC initiates suo motu PIL on open manholes, ducts in Lucknow

The advocate highlighted the municipal corporation’s failure to ensure proper coverage of manholes, which led to the tragic incident

LUCKNOW The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Wednesday took cognizance of a newspaper report about a tragic incident where an 8-year-old child lost his life after falling into an open manhole and initiated a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) to address the issue of open manholes and ducts within the municipal limits of the city.

Rescuers at Lucknow’s Jankipuram where an 8-year-old boy died after falling into an open manhole on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

The incident was brought to the notice of the division bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Om Prakash Shukla by an advocate, Adarsh Mehrotra, who placed before the court, a news item published in a daily newspaper on April 24 regarding the incident.

Advocate Mehrotra also submitted that, in fact, according to a separate news item published in the newspaper, various manholes and ducts are lying open across the city, leaving the possibility of similar incidents occurring in the future.

He highlighted the municipal corporation’s failure to ensure proper coverage of manholes, which led to the tragic incident. He requested the court’s intervention and urged the bench to initiate a suo motu PIL to address the matter effectively under the court’s supervision.

The court directed the registration of a suo motu PIL, deeming it to be an important matter involving the public’s interest and requiring the attention of the municipal corporation.

“We would also like to know the correct facts as to how such an incident occurred and whether there is any lapse on the part of the municipal authorities; whether there are other manholes or ducts in the city which are lying open, if so, what steps are being taken in this regard by the municipal authorities so that life and well-being of residents of this city are not endangered on account of negligence and non-performance of statutory obligation by the municipal corporation its officers and employees,” the court said.

The municipal corporation of Lucknow, through its commissioner, and Lucknow Development Authority, through its vice-chairman, have been arrayed as opposite parties in the said PIL. The court directed the matter to be placed before the appropriate Bench on April 30.