Mumbai

A day of relentless monsoon rain brought fresh disruption and tragedy to Mumbai on Thursday after a 55-year-old man died after falling into an uncovered manhole in the city's western suburbs, while widespread waterlogging affected road traffic and delayed suburban train services.

The financial capital received intense rainfall overnight, inundating several low-lying areas. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), some parts of Mumbai recorded more than 200 mm of rain in the past 24 hours, with Bhandup and Santacruz receiving nearly 239 mm.

The day's most tragic incident occurred on Khairani Road in Chandivali, where Aslam Easaf Shaikh was swept into an open manhole.

CCTV footage showed Shaikh walking while speaking on his mobile phone before suddenly disappearing into the uncovered drain after passing a parked goods vehicle. The manhole cover had reportedly been removed by three contractual workers carrying out maintenance work.

The incident, the city's second rain-related fatality this week, sparked widespread criticism over civic infrastructure and safety standards. The BMC responded by suspending four officials and ordering a high-level inquiry.

Earlier this week, an 11-year-old boy was killed when a roadside peepal tree collapsed onto a school bus in Chembur following heavy rain.

In a statement, the BMC said Shaikh was talking on his phone when the incident occurred and claimed the workers attempted to warn him. The civic body said preliminary findings suggested that the contractor had failed to put in place adequate safety arrangements at the work site.

Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide has constituted a high-level committee to investigate the incident and recommend preventive measures. The committee has been asked to submit its report within seven days.

The civic administration has also instructed all departments to ensure proper barricading at manhole maintenance sites and ordered a citywide inspection of manholes to be completed within eight days.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Leader of Opposition in the BMC Kishori Pednekar questioned why the open manhole had not been barricaded.

Former MP and Shiv Sena leader Milind Deora described the incident as a preventable tragedy, calling for accountability.

"How many more Mumbaikars must die before basic civic safety becomes a priority? Open manholes are not accidents. They are the result of negligence, failed systems and lack of accountability," he said in a post on X.

The matter was also raised in the Maharashtra Assembly, where Speaker Rahul Narwekar termed the death a case of "culpable homicide" and asked the government to make a detailed statement.

Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal acknowledged that there appeared to have been serious lapses in implementing mandatory safety measures. She said CCTV footage showed workers had opened the manhole while installing a protective grill but failed to erect the required barricades around the site.

The minister informed the House that four civic officials from the L ward had been suspended. Those suspended are Assistant Municipal Commissioner Dhanaji Herlekar, Assistant Sub-Engineer Deepak Chaugule, Junior Engineer Abhijit Chaugule and Assistant Engineer Uttam Patil.

Mumbai has witnessed similar tragedies in the past. In 2017, noted gastroenterologist Dr Deepak Amarapurkar died after falling into an open manhole during heavy rains, leading to widespread public outrage.

Heavy rainfall also disrupted suburban rail services during the morning peak hours as water accumulated on railway tracks. Many commuters reported train delays of 10 to 15 minutes, resulting in overcrowding at stations.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall over Mumbai and adjoining suburbs, with the possibility of extremely heavy showers during Thursday night and early Friday.

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Rainfall intensity reduced later in the day, with only intermittent showers reported across the city during the afternoon and evening.