This man has a solution to open manholes

He added, “I didn’t personally know Dr Amrapurkar, but when I read about his tragic death, I was really moved. It was nothing, but negligence that killed him. My four-year-old daughter too was stuck in her school in BKC that day. I started thinking what if my wife and daughter came home walking. This could have happened to them, to anybody.

All this started haunting me. I am sure this was not the first case of someone falling into an open manhole. Why is there no solution to this yet?”

According to Kadam, he drew a diagram of a mesh, grids that can be fixed on the manhole under he iron cast cover.
“I just picked up a pencil and paper and drew a figure, got a local man to weld iron rods and make the cover the next day. If a common man like me can come up with an idea, the BMC has a team of experts and engineers. If they come together, they could come up with an even better solution.”

Kadam got the iron mesh tested in a manhole in the compound of his office building at Mahalaxmi.
Kadam has now approached Raees Shaikh, BMC councillor from Samajwadi Party, to propose his idea in the BMC and seek an approval.

“I got the reference of Raees Shaikh from a friend. I was told that councillors can present the proposal in the standing committee and seek an approval. Shaikh has already started promoting the idea in the BMC.”

Kadam is now planning to add two new protection features to the grid cover he had made. He feels that steps need to be taken to prevent iron grid covers from being stolen, as they have a resale value.

“I am planning to get clamps that can be locked from inside and can be opened with key-like tools that can be operated only by an authorised person. I also want to put sensor lights on the grid cover, which can light up on contact with water. This would be helpful for warning people if the main cover is missing or unlocked,” Kadam said.
When contacted, SP councillor Raees Shaikh said, “I have already spoken to BMC officials about this. I am planning to take it up as a project and present it to the standing committee. I will also personally speak to the BMC commissioner soon.”

Meanwhile, a senior official from Storm Water Drains (SWD) department said, “Theft, maintenance, affordability, feasibility and many other technical aspects will need to be considered for approving it. I have just heard about this cover. I will need to first see it. Let the proposal come up and we will think about it.”