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Woman suffers broken leg after street light collapses in Koparkhairane
A woman suffered a broken leg and needs surgery after a street light collapsed on a pavement at Teen Tanki in Koparkhairane on Saturday. At 2.30pm, Usha Jadhav, 38, of Vashi got off a bus and was walking on the footpath to meet her sister when the street light came down crashing and hit her knee.
Navi Mumbai: A woman suffered a broken leg and needs surgery after a street light collapsed on a pavement at Teen Tanki in Koparkhairane on Saturday.
At 2.30pm, Usha Jadhav, 38, of Vashi got off a bus and was walking on the footpath to meet her sister when the street light came down crashing and hit her knee.
“Late in the afternoon I got a call from my wife’s mobile number informing me that she was injured and admitted to Lions Hospital. Doctors have informed us that her bone has cracked beneath the left knee and it needs surgery,” Usha Jadhav’s husband Subhash Jadhav, a tea seller, said.
Concerned about the lack of funds and clarity on assistance from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), Subhash Jadhav said, “Following the incident, a lot of NMMC officials came and gave us assurance to provide all possible assistance. But post evening, none of them were present. Now I am required to make arrangements for the funds needed to do the operation on an urgent basis,” he said.
Meanwhile, questions were raised on the quality of street lights. A social activist and Airoli resident Avinash Vasudevan, who was on his way to work witnessed the whole incident, expressed his concern on the manner in which the street light collapsed.
“The pole has bent as if it is made of plastic and these were installed recently, so it is clearly not a case of wear and tear,” Vasudevan added.
When the activist spoke to shopkeepers, he was informed that the pole collapsed after a cable came in the way of a school van, bringing down the street light. “I wonder what kind of material was used in making the pole that a small van could bring it down. There should be a thorough investigation in the matter and the NMMC should take responsibility for the woman’s treatment,” Vasudevan said.
The civic officials said the CCTV footage later showed that a technician of the cable company had pulled the cable bringing the pole down.
When contacted, municipal Commissioner Rajesh Narvekar said he was looking into the issue and providing all possible assistance to the injured. “I am aware of the incident and I am also in contact with the relatives of the woman. We have assured them that NMMC will look into her treatment.” he said.
Asked about the allegedly inferior quality of the poles, Narvekar said, “Street lights were installed four years ago. Visually, it does not appear to be of bad quality. But we will send samples for testing on Monday and if found of inferior quality we will take action.”
An FIR against an unknown person has been registered in the matter, Ajay Bhosale, senior inspector, Koparkhairane police station, said.
