Bikers' road death: BMC first pins blame on SRA, then owns up

MUMBAI: Death of two bikers due to an open utility duct, yet again, points to Mumbai's unattended danger spots. The incident is a stark reminder of the pathetic condition of city roads and the callous attitude of the multiple agencies that look after the utilities. After Wednesday's incident, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) passed the buck on the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), only to later retract it and admit that the area where the incident took place was under the civic jurisdiction.
Initially, the ward office said that the concerned area was under SRA. "After verification, we have learnt that the utility duct belongs to MTNL and they are responsible for maintaining and repairing the covers," said Harshad Kale, assistant municipal commissioner. The civic body, though, maintained that they have strict norms in place to prevent such mishaps. "The onus is on the contractor who is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the road. In case such an incident takes place, the contractor has to pay the family a compensation. Besides, the BMC does take strict action against erring contractors and penalize them. In this case, since it was an MTNL utility cover that caused the accident, they will be held responsible," said Rahul Shewale, chairman, civic standing committee.
After speaking to other agencies, TOI has learnt that in the absence of a clear working policy, such incidents only evoke lukewarm response from government agencies. For instance, no official has got in touch with the bereaved families till date. "We still haven't heard from the officials," said Kunal's father Kiran Ullalkar.
While tracking the pre-monsoon preparations, TOI had reported that several manhole covers across the city were missing or had caved in. In Andheri, TOI had found three manholes. The civic body attended to the open manholes after the report was published.
Charles Pereira, Juhu resident said, "The death of these two young boys will always be a grim reminder of the pathetic condition of our roads. It's high time the BMC and other agencies get their act together to make the roads safer. In Juhu, too, there are a score of drain covers over the pavements that have come loose and gone missing." S Divedi of Andheri said, "Last month, a drain cover caved in on Andheri Link Road. It took the BMC about two weeks to get a replacement and that too after report in the newpapers. I wonder if the BMC is even bothered about citizens' safety."