Sakinaka manhole encident

 

Sakinaka Manhole Tragedy.  Mayor Ritu Tawde  Visits  Site; Four Officials Suspended,  Contractor Blacklisted

Following the tragic death of 55-year-old Aslam Ishaq Shaikh  who fell into an open manhole on Khairani Road in Sakinaka, Mumbai Mayor Mrs. Ritu Tawde visited the accident site to assess the situation. She later visited Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar, met the bereaved family members, expressed her condolences, and announced immediate financial assistance of ₹10 lakh for the victim's family.

Acting on the Mayor's directions, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) took immediate disciplinary action. Four officials have been suspended pending an inquiry for their apparent negligence in ensuring adequate safety measures at the site. Those suspended include L Ward Assistant Commissioner Dhanaji Herlekar, Assistant/Sub-Engineer Deepak Chougule of the Maintenance Department, Junior Engineer Abhijit Chougule of the Maintenance Department, and Uttam Patil of the Sewerage Operations Department. The contractor responsible for the work has also been blacklisted for failing to implement mandatory safety measures and for negligence that led to the loss of life.

To conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and recommend measures to prevent such accidents in the future, a high-level inquiry committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Additional Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs). The committee comprises the Deputy Commissioner (General Administration), Deputy Commissioner (Zone 7), and Deputy Commissioner (Infrastructure). The Municipal Commissioner has directed the committee to submit its report within seven days.

Speaking to the media at the accident site, Mayor Ritu Tawde stated that during the pre-monsoon preparedness meetings, she had repeatedly emphasized two key priorities: ensuring that all manhole covers across Mumbai were in proper condition and securely fixed, and conducting a comprehensive survey of trees to assess their condition, undertake necessary pruning, and immediately implement protective measures wherever there was even a slight possibility of trees collapsing. She noted that she, along with the Deputy Mayor, other elected representatives, the Municipal Commissioner, and senior officials, had held several review meetings and repeatedly instructed the administration on these issues. Similar directions were also issued during field inspections of drain-cleaning operations, road concretization projects, and other civic works. Despite these repeated instructions, the implementation was found to be lacking. She warned that strict action would continue against any officer, employee, or contractor found responsible, and that no one would be shielded from accountability.

The Mayor further stated that with heavy rainfall forecast for the day, there was absolutely no justification for leaving the manhole on Khairani Road open. The loss of an innocent citizen's life due to an uncovered manhole is deeply unfortunate and unacceptable. She assured that once the final inquiry report is submitted within seven days, further stringent action will be taken against those found responsible.

साकीनाका मॅनहोल दुर्घटना : महापौर रितू तावडे घटनास्थळी; चार अधिकारी निलंबित, कंत्राटदार काळ्या यादीत

मुंबईतील साकीनाका परिसरातील खैरानी मार्गावर खुल्या मॅनहोलमध्ये पडून असलम इसाक शेख (वय ५५) यांचा दुर्दैवी मृत्यू झाल्यानंतर मुंबईच्या महापौर श्रीमती रितू तावडे यांनी घटनास्थळी भेट देत परिस्थितीची पाहणी केली. त्यानंतर त्यांनी घाटकोपर येथील राजावाडी रुग्णालयात जाऊन मृताच्या कुटुंबीयांची भेट घेत संवेदना व्यक्त केल्या आणि शेख कुटुंबाला तातडीने १० लाख रुपयांची आर्थिक मदत जाहीर केली.

या दुर्घटनेची गंभीर दखल घेत महापौरांच्या निर्देशानुसार महानगरपालिका प्रशासनाने तात्काळ कारवाई करत एल विभागाचे सहाय्यक आयुक्त धनाजी हेर्लेकर, सहायक/दुय्यम अभियंता दीपक चौगुले, कनिष्ठ अभियंता अभिजीत चौगुले आणि मलनिसारण प्रचालन विभागातील उत्तम पाटील यांना चौकशी पूर्ण होईपर्यंत निलंबित केले आहे. तसेच, आवश्यक सुरक्षा उपाययोजना न करता निष्काळजीपणे काम केल्यामुळे संबंधित कंत्राटदाराला काळ्या यादीत टाकण्यात आले आहे.

या प्रकरणाची सखोल चौकशी करण्यासाठी अतिरिक्त महानगरपालिका आयुक्त (पश्चिम उपनगरे) यांच्या अध्यक्षतेखाली उच्चस्तरीय चौकशी समिती स्थापन करण्यात आली असून समितीला सात दिवसांत अहवाल सादर करण्याचे आदेश देण्यात आले आहेत. समितीत उपआयुक्त (सामान्य प्रशासन), उपआयुक्त (परिमंडळ ७) आणि उपआयुक्त (पायाभूत सुविधा) यांचा समावेश आहे.

घटनास्थळी प्रसारमाध्यमांशी बोलताना महापौर रितू तावडे यांनी सांगितले की, पावसाळापूर्व बैठकींमध्ये सर्व मॅनहोलची झाकणे सुस्थितीत ठेवणे, झाडांचे सर्वेक्षण करणे आणि आवश्यक सुरक्षात्मक उपाययोजना करण्याबाबत प्रशासनाला वारंवार सूचना देण्यात आल्या होत्या. तरीही अंमलबजावणीत निष्काळजीपणा झाल्याचे दिसून आले आहे. त्यामुळे दोषी अधिकारी, कर्मचारी किंवा कंत्राटदार कोणालाही पाठीशी घातले जाणार नाही आणि यापुढेही कठोर कारवाई सुरू राहील, असा इशारा त्यांनी दिला.

महापौरांनी पुढे नमूद केले की, मुसळधार पावसाची शक्यता असताना खैरानी मार्गावरील मॅनहोल उघडे ठेवण्याचे कोणतेही कारण नव्हते. एका निष्पाप नागरिकाचा जीव जाणे ही अत्यंत दुर्दैवी घटना असून अंतिम चौकशी अहवालानंतर दोषींवर आणखी कठोर कारवाई करण्यात येईल, असे त्यांनी स्पष्ट केले.