The inspiration behind this project is Ajay. He has over the past few weeks religiously followed the creation and destruction of a man-hole in Andheri East ^[1].

So here is my contribution on the same.

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This particular man-hole is located in the back lane of Shoppers Stop and Chandan cinema in Juhu. It has been in this pathetic state for the past couple of months. Since the traffic flow is less here, its breaking-up process has been a little slow. In a busy and populated street this surely wouldn’t have lasted so long.

Maintenance of Man-holes in Mumbai city has always been a matter of concern for the local public and the authorities. This very problem gets high-lighted only during the rainy season or when someone actually lands up getting injured and at times loosing their life.

Manhole covers are frequently stolen, most often by drug or by residents from near-by slums. The temporary covers made of substandard concrete slabs are casually placed over the holes. Sometimes, when even slabs are not available, a bamboo stick or a branch is stuck into the manhole to alert pedestrians and vehicles.

Surely the authorities are very much aware of the crisis but as usual they turn a blind eye towards.

With the monsoon approaching the problem would only become more severe and dangerous for many pedestrians. This is the right time to take appropriate and fast action in response to the Man-hole crisis at hand.

If you have experienced or have heard similar story or incident, kindly do let us know. Maybe a little effort from you end, could help us make Mumbai, some-what better and safer city to live-in.

Man-Hole accidents – Real stories

Pragni, member of the Mumbai Metroblog has written about her ordeal, here ^[4].