Mumbai journalist falls in open manhole due to water-logging, escapes unhurt

Tanmaya Nanda said he was unable to see the opening owing to excessive water-logging in the area.

A 48-year-old journalist fell into an open drain at Veera Desai Road in Andheri (West) on Tuesday, but managed to pull himself out. Tanmaya Nanda said he was unable to see the opening owing to excessive water-logging in the area. Right after the incident, Nanda tweeted to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), following which all open manholes on the stretch were covered.

A pothole near Andheri station in Mumbai, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (Shashi S Kashyap / HT Photo)

“I fell into this open manhole on the sidewalk on Veera Desai Road (opposite Country Club) a little while ago. Managed to break fall and pull myself out. Thanks,” Nanda had tweeted.

Speaking to HT, Nanda said, “I had stepped out in the morning to buy milk and I saw that over half a dozen manholes were lying open on the pavement opposite Country Club in Andheri. Some of them were marked with woods and twigs. However, I wasn’t able to see the one I fell into due to excessive water-logging on the pavement.”

He added that several manholes are left open despite the civic body’s promise to cover them with nets after the death of Dr Deepak Amrapurkar in August 2017. “Fortunately I escaped unhurt and the BMC took action and covered all manholes after my tweet,” he said.

Gaikwad added that someone had opened the drain and turned the cover in such a way that half of it was outside. “Because of this, it got clogged,” he said.