Mumbai: Court brings order, but why are manhole thefts on rise?

Updated On: 24 August, 2023 07:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan Khan

What seems to be a trivial issue—stolen manholes—in reality poses a grave threat to that endangered species called pedestrian. We dive deep into the world of junkies, lax officials, greedy scrappers, devastated families in our new series

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An open manhole at Bandra Kurla Complex on April 26, 2022. File Pic/Sameer Markande

On Monday, all 24 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) ward officers submitted reports to civic administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal, claiming that every manhole in their respective zones has been adequately covered. However, officials can’t rule out the possibility of manhole covers being stolen after their inspection due to their popularity among drug addicts. These covers, made of cast iron, are particularly appealing to anti-social elements as they fetch a significant price when sold to scrap dealers.

The ongoing theft of manhole covers is also worrying the Mumbai Police, as there were approximately 53 reported thefts this year alone, in which 400 manhole covers were stolen. According to the BMC, all of them have been recovered. The Bombay High Court on August 11 asked the BMC to inspect manholes across the city with court-appointed officers and submit a report within four weeks.

Dr Deepak Amrapurkar, who died after falling into an open manhole amid heavy rain near Prabhadevi on August 29, 2017