This is an archive article published on March 21, 2024
Alarms fail to go off, smart manhole project in doldrums as theft continues
While the BMC has terminated the contract of the agency who had been roped in to implement the pilot project, senior officials maintained the project has not been scrapped, with search for better technology still afoot.
In a bid to combat the rising theft of manhole covers, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) — last year — had conjured up a smart manhole project wherein sensors were installed over 14 manhole covers across the city to raise alarm whenever there is an attempt at theft. Months on, civic officials said that the pilot project has failed, owing to technical challenges.
While the BMC has terminated the contract of the agency who had been roped in to implement the pilot project, senior officials maintained the project has not been scrapped, with search for better technology still afoot.
Data furnished by the civic body, ahead of last year’s monsoon, showed that theft of the city’s manhole covers had seen exponential rise over the past few years. Once stolen, the open manholes become a dangerous pit where citizens fall, injuring themselves, with more unfortunate cases leading to fatalities. Earlier this week, for instance, two minors were killed after drowning in an open tank, whose lid, civic officials suspected had been stolen by the vagrants from nearby slums.
To prevent such cases, the civic body had launched its ‘smart manhole project’ across 14 locations of the city, in a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, wherein sensors were installed over the manhole covers. When moved, these sensors were slated to ring alarms and send alerts to a control room, who on being alerted, would rush to the location.
However, according to officials, the project has failed to make a mark, owing to several technical impediments along the way.
Speaking to The Indian Express, a senior official from the city’s sewerage operations department said that while most sensors failed to sound any alarms upon being moved, some would send the alerts to wrong control rooms, thereby raising false alarms.
“The sensor had to be placed inside the sewerage channels consisting of sewage. Owing to the presence of sewage, the atmosphere is highly toxic within these channels and that was leading to technical failure of the sensors. Furthermore, the apparatus of the sensor when placed over the covers was obstructing the operations of the workers who climb down the channels to ensure maintenance works”, added the official.
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The project costing Rs 12 lakh, maximum of the smart covers had been installed in the city’s F/south ward, which comprises Parel, followed by G/South, which includes Worli and Prabhadevi.
Meanwhile, at some of the locations, the civic body had also deployed a mechanism to monitor the sewage levels to prevent overflowing. This mechanism too, officials said, have failed to perform as per the technology.
Amidst the failure of the existing technology, the civic body has said that the contractor, who had been appointed to execute the works, was terminated. “While this technology has failed, we are looking for a new mechanism. If someone comes up with a better technology, we will implement this technology,” said the official, maintaining that the project had not been scrapped.
Mumbai has over one lakh manhole covers, which are used to shield the entry and exit points of the network of stormwater drains (SWD) and sewerage channels that run underneath the road surfaces.
Nayonika Bose is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau. While in the early stages of her career, her focused reporting on local governance and community welfare already demonstrates clear Expertise and Trustworthiness in covering essential civic issues impacting Mumbai's residents.
Expertise & Authority (E-E-A-T)
Specialized Focus: Nayonika's reporting is dedicated to civic and community issues, providing readers with highly relevant, ground-level information about the functionality and administration of India's largest metropolitan area.
Core Coverage Areas: Her articles highlight a strong focus on the fundamental quality of life and public safety in Mumbai, including:
Civic Infrastructure: Reports on critical failures and initiatives related to public works, such as the recurring problem of unauthorized building collapses in Navi Mumbai, the construction of new infrastructure projects (like the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road and the Mahalaxmi cable-stayed bridge), and the maintenance of essential city services (e.g., manhole cover theft).
Urban Governance & Crisis Management: Provides detailed coverage of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) response to major crises, particularly during the monsoon (e.g., heavy rainfall, water cuts, and public health concerns like dengue and malaria) and large-scale public safety incidents (e.g., the hoarding collapse fallout).
Community Welfare & Rights: Reports on key social issues, including the financial aid scheme for persons with disabilities, the struggles of Mumbai's hawkers protesting eviction drives, and the dangers faced by workers due to the continuation of manual scavenging in water tanks.
Cultural & Heritage Reporting: Covers significant community stories, including the restoration of British-era fountains and the history of institutions like the 126-year-old Chinchpokli cemetery, showing a breadth of interest beyond pure administration.
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