Civic body resumes search for boy in manhole

“We received several letters from MPs and MLAs to revive the search as there is no news of the lost boy. Accordingly,we decided to start the operation again,” said chief engineer,Sewerage Operations,D L Shinde. The search began on Saturday and so far,a 1.5-km stretch has been explored with divers going deep into sewer lines with breathing equipment.

“There are 62 manholes on the road where the boy allegedly fell. Our divers are now going inside the sewer lines that connect these manholes. So far we haven’t found anything,” said an official in-charge of the operation.

With no clue on the location of the boy or his body,the BMC is now planning to appoint an agency that can inspect the three-km stretch with cameras. “Although the divers have gone deep,we are exploring the possibility of finding some contents,maybe a piece of cloth or footwear or maybe the body if the boy actually fell into the manhole. Otherwise,there is nothing more that can be done,” the official said.

Ayub’s mother was the only person to see him fall into the manhole from her fourth-floor flat while he was playing on the road with his elder brother. A few hours after the news,Ayub’s grandfather Pervez Sheikh (55) died of heart attack.