Open manhole death, viral clip and a political row: Mumbai BJP chief faces heat

A video recorded inside the Vidhan Bhavan complex has triggered a political controversy in Maharashtra after Mumbai BJP president and MLA Ameet Satam was seen smiling while referring to two recent civic tragedies in the city, including the death of a man who fell into an open sewer during heavy rain.

The clip, shot on 2 July, the same day a 55-year-old man died after allegedly falling into an open manhole in Sakinaka, shows Satam saying, “Yesterday it was a tree, today it is a manhole”, in an apparent reference to two fatal incidents reported in Mumbai in quick succession. Senior NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil was also seen smiling during the exchange.

The remark came against the backdrop of the death of an 11-year-old boy after a tree fell on a school bus in Chembur and the Sakinaka sewer tragedy involving Aslam Sheikh, who was swept into an uncovered drain during heavy rain. The video has since fuelled criticism from the opposition, which accused the ruling side of treating serious civic failures lightly.

The controversy unfolded even as the manhole death intensified scrutiny of Mumbai’s drainage infrastructure and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s preparedness during the monsoon.

Raising the issue in the Legislative Council on Friday, Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap described the city’s uncovered manholes as “death traps” and demanded a detailed discussion on the condition of the drainage network.

Jagtap said Mumbai had 1,03,996 manholes in total, of which 96,383 were fitted with protective nets, leaving 4,446 still uncovered. He argued that these posed a serious risk to public safety, particularly during heavy rain, when roads and drains often become indistinguishable under water.

Speaking to reporters outside the House later, Jagtap also questioned the pace of installation of so-called smart manholes in the city and asked how many had actually been deployed.

The issue has assumed greater urgency after the death of the 55-year-old in Sakinaka on Thursday. Following the incident, the BMC suspended four civic officials and constituted a high-level inquiry committee to examine the circumstances that led to the fatality.

The latest episode has sharpened the political debate over civic negligence in Mumbai, where a series of rain-related accidents and deaths has once again put the spotlight on infrastructure failures and the accountability of municipal authorities during the monsoon season.

With PTI inputs