What is more surprising is that the IDC authorities recently began tarring all internal roads in the IDC, including this main road. However, the manhole portion was left untouched, thereby doubling the risk to commuters.
Inquiries with IDC officials revealed that at the time of laying down a water pipeline to supply raw water to IDC Verna, the Water Resources Department constructed a manhole right over their pipeline, which was laid underneath the said road.
“After completing the task, the WRD covered the manhole with a steel cover. However, due to movement of heavy traffic, and especially heavy vehicles, the steel cover got bent down and since then the WRD has failed to replace the same. Thus, when the road was tarred, the manhole portion could not be covered with tar,” said an IDC official on condition of anonymity.
When Verna Industries Association president Damodar Kochkar was contacted to know if the association had any information about the manhole and riders getting injured on regularly at the site, he said, “The moment this issue was brought to my notice, I did my own enquiry and found that the steel plate which was used earlier to cover the manhole was not thick enough to take the load of traffic, and thus the same bent down. As this was a serious traffic hazard, I immediately requested the IDC to take steps to change the steel plate with thick steel. However, action is yet to be initiated.”
He continued, “I feel that both, IDC and WRD officials are only interested in playing blame games as they have been passing the buck to each other, but no one amongst them is ready to accept this as their responsibility. Such a manhole is putting people’s lives at high risk, as if they (IDC and WRD) have actually made a coffin for the people to come and die in.”
