Mumbai civic body fixes thousands of manholes before monsoon

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation fixed over 3,600 manholes using a protective mesh to prevent accidents in the upcoming monsoon season. The authorities warned people to not remove manhole covers or lids.

Falling into manholes is one of the leading causes of accidents in the rainy season as the accumulation of rainwater makes them invisible. There have been incidents of locals removing the lid to allow rainwater to drain. Aam Aadmi Party had recently claimed to have found 100 open manholes in nine administrative wards of Mumbai and had asked the civic body to cover them.

A statement from the civic body said the protective mesh had been installed on 3,679 manholes, comprising 2,945 in the island city, 293 in the eastern suburbs, and 441 in the western part of the metropolis.

The weather office recently said India can expect more than predicted rainfall in this monsoon season. The average rainfall this monsoon season is expected to be 103% of the long period average," India Meteorological Department Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra. Most parts of the country will have good and well-distributed rain, he added in an updated forecast.

Central and peninsular India can expect 106% of long period average rainfall. And the north-eastern region could get below normal rains, said IMD. The monsoon onset was predicted to be on May 29, three days before the normal date.