Report into doctor’s death during Mumbai’s August 29 deluge out this week

According to locals, the Elphinstone junction manhole Dr Deepak Amrapurkar allegedly fell into, was barricaded with bamboo strips to indicate the opening of the 8x6 feet barrel drain

After the death of a well-known gastroenterologist on August 29, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is expected to get the inquiry report this week.

Dr Deepak Amrapurkar (ht)

According to the locals, the Elphinstone junction manhole Dr Deepak Amrapurkar allegedly fell into, was barricaded with bamboo strips to indicate the opening of the 8x6 feet barrel drain.

According to the BMC officials, manholes cannot be opened by any BMC worker in the months between May – October and it would have been possible that locals opened it up for water to flow out.

As the blame game pans out between the locals and the BMC, the police filed an accidental death report and are carrying out an investigation into who had opened the manholes in the area.

A senior police official told HT, this will be figured out in due course of the inquiry.

According to locals, there were more manholes open in the area at the time for the water to flow down. V H Khandkar, deputy chief engineer in the civic body, said, “Anybody with a crowbar or pickaxe can open the manhole.”

Additional municipal commissioner Vijay Singhal said the civic body’s inquiry report will not only say what happened on the day of the deluge but will also say how it could have been avoided. “We are looking at remedial measures,” he added.

However, police officials of Dadar-Mahim division said several people who did not actually witness the event on Aug 29 have been giving statements, making the investigation work a bit meticulous.