BMC and MMRCL pass the buck on death of woman who fell into open drain

MUMBAI: When multiple agencies are involved in an accident, passing the buck instead of taking responsibility is common practice. This fact was evident in the Andheri East Jog Bridge slab collapse in July as also last week’s fatality caused by an open stormwater drain (SWD).
On the evening of September 25, when Mumbai was pounded by unusually heavy rainfall, Vimal Gaikwad (45) fell into an open SWD in the Seepz area of Andheri East and died. Acting swiftly, BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani ordered a comprehensive investigation by a committee comprising deputy municipal commissioner of Zone 3 Devidas Kshirsagar, chief fire officer Ravindra Ambulgekar and chief engineer (Vigilance) Avinash Tambewagh. The committee, which presented the report to Gagrani on Monday, has held the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) and its contractor, Larsen &Toubro (L&T), accountable.
The report says that the area where the accident occurred has been under the possession of L&T, MMRCL’s contractor, since 2015. It points out that the BMC’s K East ward had alerted the contractor about various defects at the site. Formal letters were sent to L&T on August 24 and August 29, emphasising that the contractor was responsible for correcting any issues during the Defect Liability Period.
Overall, the committee concluded that L&T and MMRCL were responsible for addressing the safety hazards and rectifying the defects in the area where the accident occurred. It also emphasised, however, that along with the responsibilities of MMRCL and L&T, municipal employees needed to remain vigilant during adverse weather conditions to mitigate potential risks.
When questioned, a senior MMRCL official told HT that a staff meeting was held after the BMC appointed the committee. “We have clarified that the underground metro station covers a 250-metre stretch, and that we are not responsible for the entire road,” he said. “We are saddened by this incident which should not have happened; however we are not at fault.”
Contradicting this, a civic official pointed out that the spot where the woman fell into the open SWD was where MMRCL’s work on the Seepz metro station was going on. “MMRCL had sent us a letter a month ago, saying it wanted to hand over the site to us but we had pointed out the defects at the site even then,” he said. “We conducted a joint site visit today to show them all their incomplete works.”
Enumerating these, the civic official said, “The streetlight work is pending on MIDC Central road. There are a lot of other pending works such as stamp concrete pavement work, a divider, and 10 to 12 SWD chambers yet to be installed by their contractor. Only after these works are completed can they hand over the site to us with the concerned departments’ NOCs.”
MMRCL is expected to open the first phase of the underground Aarey-BKC Metro 3 this month. The Seepz station is part of this soon-to-be-inaugurated line.
(With inputs from Shashank Rao)